Maimonides on the origin of the world / Kenneth Seeskin.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Seeskin, Kenneth, 1947- author.

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Maimonides, Moses, 1135-1204.

Maimonides, Moses.

Bible. Genesis, I--Criticism, interpretation, etc., Jewish.

Bible.

Creation.

Philosophy, Ancient.

Philosophy, Medieval.

Jewish philosophy.

Physical Description:

1 online resource (viii, 215 pages) : digital, PDF file(s).

Place of Publication:

Cambridge : Cambridge University Press, 2005.

Language Note:

English

Summary:

Although Maimonides' discussion of creation is one of his greatest contributions - he himself claims that belief in creation is second in importance only to belief in God - there is still considerable debate on what that contribution was. Kenneth Seeskin takes a close look at the problems Maimonides faced and the sources from which he drew. He argues that Maimonides meant exactly what he said: the world was created by a free act of God so that the existence of everything other than God is contingent. In religious terms, existence is a gift. In order to reach this conclusion, Seeskin examines Maimonides' view of God, miracles, the limits of human knowledge, and the claims of astronomy to be a science. Clearly written and closely argued, Maimonides on the Origin of the World takes up questions of perennial interest.

Contents:

God and the problem of origin

Creation in the Timaeus

Aristotle and the arguments for eternity

Plotinus and metaphysical causation

Particularity

Nature, miracles, and the end of the world

Aftermath and conclusion.

Notes:

Title from publisher's bibliographic system (viewed on 05 Oct 2015).

Includes bibliographical references (p. 199-207) and index.

ISBN:

1-107-15210-0

0-511-35056-2

0-511-34968-8

9786611085735

1-281-08573-1

0-511-34779-0

0-511-34876-2

1-280-42219-X

0-511-18200-7

0-511-13040-6

0-511-19916-3

0-511-30935-X

0-511-61462-4

0-511-12887-8

OCLC:

191760157