Maimonides' Guide of the perplexed : a critical guide / edited by Daniel Frank, Aaron Segal.

Format:

Book

Contributor:

Frank, Daniel H., 1950- editor.

Segal, Aaron (Aaron David), editor.

Series:

Cambridge Critical Guides.

Cambridge critical guides.

Cambridge critical guides

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Maimonides, Moses, 1135-1204. Dalālat al-ḥāʼirīn.

Maimonides, Moses.

Jewish philosophy.

Philosophy, Medieval.

Physical Description:

1 online resource (viii, 316 pages) : digital, PDF file(s).

Place of Publication:

Cambridge : Cambridge University Press, 2021.

Summary:

Moses Maimonides' Guide of the Perplexed (c. 1190) is the greatest and most influential text in the history of Jewish philosophy. Controversial in its day, the Guide directly influenced Aquinas, Spinoza, and Leibniz, and the history of Jewish philosophy took a decisive turn after its appearance. While there continues to be keen interest in Maimonides and his philosophy, this is the first scholarly collection in English devoted specifically to the Guide. It includes contributions from an international team of scholars addressing the most important philosophical themes that range over the three parts of this sprawling work - including topics in the philosophy of language, metaphysics, epistemology, philosophy of law, ethics, and political philosophy. There are also essays on the Guide's hermeneutic puzzles, and on its overall structure and philosophical trajectory. The volume will be of interest to philosophers, Judaists, theologians, and medievalists.

Contents:

Cover

Half-title

Series information

Title page

Copyright information

Contents

List of Contributors

Introduction

Part I Form

Chapter 1 The Structure and Purpose of the Guide

1.1 R. Joseph and His Perplexity

1.2 The Trajectory of the Guide

1.3 Good, but Not Wise: Job and R. Joseph

Chapter 2 The Guide as Biblical Commentary

2.1 Introduction

2.2 What and Who Are Commentaries for?

2.3 The Guide as a Conceptual Commentary

2.4 The Guide as a Formal Commentary

2.5 Conclusion

Part II Human Beginnings

Chapter 3 Paradise and the Fall

Chapter 4 Maimonides on the Nature of Good and Evil

4.1 Maimonides the Non-Cognitivist?

4.2 Maimonides the Weak Cognitivist?

4.3 Maimonides the Strong Cognitivist?

4.4 The Ethics of Intellectual Perfection

4.5 Conclusion

Part III The Creator

Chapter 5 The Scope of Metaphysics

5.1 The Account of the Chariot and Ezekiel's Vision of the Chariot

Chapter 6 His Existence Is Essentiality: Maimonides as Metaphysician

6.1 Metaphysical Maimonides

6.2 The Claims and Arguments

6.3 The Puzzles

6.4 Extant Resolutions

6.4.1 Go Radical

6.4.2 Go Conservative

6.5 New Resolution: Go Maimonidean

6.5.1 Predicates and Attributes

6.5.2 What Is ''Pure Equivocation''?

6.5.3 The View

6.5.4 Puzzles Resolved

6.6 Conclusion

Chapter 7 ''Whereof One Cannot Speak''

7.1 Maimonides' Theory of Divine Ineffability

7.2 The Puzzle of Incomprehensible Knowledge

7.3 Non-propositional Knowledge

7.3.1 Knowledge-how

7.3.2 Phenomenal Knowledge

7.3.3 Indexical Knowledge

7.4 Non-propositional Knowledge and Apophaticism

7.5 Conclusion: Apophaticism and Objectivity

Part IV The Created

Chapter 8 Creation and Miracles in the Guide

8.1 Introduction

8.2 Creation

8.3 Creation and Miracles

8.4 Conclusion.

Chapter 9 The Prophetic Method in the Guide

9.1 Background

9.1.1 Constraints from Jewish Theology

9.1.2 Method Individuation

9.1.3 Maimonides' Cognitive Psychology

9.1.4 Maimonides' Epistemology

9.2 The Prophetic Method

9.2.1 Component 1: Emanation (e)

9.2.2 Component 2: Rationalized Emanation (RE)

9.2.3 Component 3: The Perfect Imagination (PI)

9.2.4 Component 3: Rationalized Impressions (RI)

9.2.4.1 Maimonides on Method Individuation

9.2.4.2 Parabolic and Non-Parabolic Prophecy

9.2.4.3 Extended and Non-Extended Parabolic Rationalized Impressions

9.3 Components 4 and 5: Memory and Output Beliefs

9.3.1 Contra Belief Formation in Component 3

9.3.1.1 The Coherence Argument

9.3.1.2 The Negative Theology Argument

9.3.2 Contra Belief Formation in Component 2

9.3.2.1 The Extended Parable Argument

9.3.2.2 The Non-Extended Parable Argument

9.3.3 The General Argument

9.4 The Epistemology of Prophecy

Chapter 10 Maimonides' Modalities

10.1 The Logic of the Modalities

10.2 Guide 2.14: Possibility as Potentiality, Necessity as Actuality

10.3 Necessitation versus Purposeful Particularization: Guide 2.19-22

10.4 Avicenna and the Possible/Necessary of Existence and in Virtue of Itself/through a Cause

10.5 The Falasifa versus the Mutakallimun on Possibility and Necessity

10.6 Summing up

Part V Human Finitude

Chapter 11 Maimonides' Critique of Anthropocentrism and Teleology

11.1 Preamble

11.2 Aristotle on Teleology I

11.3 Digression: An Aristotelian Proof for Creation

11.4 Aristotle on Teleology II

11.5 The Law on Teleology

11.6 Biblical Proof Texts

11.7 Conclusion

Chapter 12 Maimonides and the Problem(s) of Evil

12.1 What Is Maimonides' Problem with Evil?

12.2 Matter and the Inexorability of Evil

12.3 Naturalistic Justice.

12.4 Egocentrism and Anthropocentrism (Guide 3.12)

12.5 Conclusion

Part VI Human Ends

Chapter 13 The Nature and Purpose of Divine Law

13.1 The Source and Goal of the Law

13.2 Creation and the Law

13.3 Idolatry and the Law

13.4 Divine Names and the Occult

Chapter 14 Maimonides on Human Perfection and the Love of God

14.1 Introduction

14.2 Predecessors

14.3 Love of God in the Mishneh Torah

14.4 Love of God in the Guide

14.5 Intellectual Perfection in the Guide

14.6 Love and Knowledge

14.7 Conclusion

Bibliography

Index.

Notes:

Title from publisher's bibliographic system (viewed on 18 Jun 2021).

Includes bibliographical references and index.

ISBN:

9781108573702

1108573703

9781108575324

1108575323

9781108635134

110863513X

OCLC:

1196821936