Q0574
“Assent is of three kinds: rhetorical, dialectical, and demonstrative; people differ in…” — Averroes (The Decisive Treatise (Butterworth))
Verified English quotation. Primary source: The Decisive Treatise (Butterworth). Theme: language.
English
Assent is of three kinds: rhetorical, dialectical, and demonstrative; people differ in nature as to which kind persuades them.
Source and attribution
The archive attributes this English wording to The Decisive Treatise (Butterworth) and files it under Islamic Philosophy. That locator distinguishes the passage from loose internet attributions: readers can return to the named work or section to check translation, surrounding argument, and edition-specific wording.
About Averroes
Ibn Rushd (Averroes, 1126–1198) served as qāḍī and physician in al-Andalus while producing the most influential Arabic commentaries on Aristotle. In the Decisive Treatise he argues that the Law itself obliges demonstrative reflection; in The Incoherence of the Incoherence he answers al-Ghazālī’s attack on the philosophers.
How to read this passage
Across 4 recurring voices here (notably Ludwig Wittgenstein and Kwasi Wiredu), language is framed through Analytic Philosophy and Africana Philosophy. Some passages define language; others warn how it fails; still others relocate it inside habit, community, or language. This passage enters that discussion through language, method, education.
Concepts in this quote
- Language
- Language appears in this archive as a live philosophical concern—not a slogan. These verified English passages show how thinkers treat language as a problem of judgment, practice, or explanation.
- Method
- Method appears in this archive as a live philosophical concern—not a slogan. These verified English passages show how thinkers treat method as a problem of judgment, practice, or explanation.
- Education
- Education appears in this archive as a live philosophical concern—not a slogan. These verified English passages show how thinkers treat education as a problem of judgment, practice, or explanation.
How to cite this quotation
APA: Averroes. (n.d.). Assent is of three kinds: rhetorical, dialectical, and demonstrative; people differ in nature as to which kind persuades them. In Philosophy Blind Box. https://www.philosophydef.com/quotes/q0574
MLA: Averroes. “Assent is of three kinds: rhetorical, dialectical, and….” Philosophy Blind Box, https://www.philosophydef.com/quotes/q0574.
Chicago: Averroes. “Assent is of three kinds: rhetorical, dialectical, and….” Philosophy Blind Box. Accessed 2026. https://www.philosophydef.com/quotes/q0574.
Frequently asked questions
What is the source of the quotation “Assent is of three kinds: rhetorical, dialectical, and…”?
The passage is attributed to Averroes, The Decisive Treatise (Butterworth). The archive attributes this English wording to The Decisive Treatise (Butterworth) and files it under Islamic Philosophy. That locator distinguishes the passage from loose internet attributions: readers can return to the named work or section to check translation, surrounding argument, and edition-specific wording.
What does Averroes mean by language?
Across 4 recurring voices here (notably Ludwig Wittgenstein and Kwasi Wiredu), language is framed through Analytic Philosophy and Africana Philosophy. Some passages define language; others warn how it fails; still others relocate it inside habit, community, or language. This passage enters that discussion through language, method, education.