Maimonides and Spinoza : their conflicting views of human nature / Joshua Parens.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Parens, Joshua, 1961-

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Maimonides, Moses, 1135-1204.

Maimonides, Moses.

Spinoza, Benedictus de, 1632-1677.

Spinoza, Benedictus de.

Philosophical anthropology.

Theological anthropology--Judaism.

Theological anthropology.

Physical Description:

1 online resource (236 p.)

Place of Publication:

Chicago : University of Chicago Press, 2012.

Language Note:

English

Summary:

Until the last century, it was generally agreed that Maimonides was a great defender of Judaism, and Spinoza-as an Enlightenment advocate for secularization-among its key opponents. However, a new scholarly consensus has recently emerged that the teachings of the two philosophers were in fact much closer than was previously thought. In his perceptive new book, Joshua Parens sets out to challenge the now predominant view of Maimonides as a protomodern forerunner to Spinoza-and to show that a chief reason to read Maimonides is in fact to gain distance from our progressively secularized worldview. Turning the focus from Spinoza's oft-analyzed Theologico-Political Treatise, this book has at its heart a nuanced analysis of his theory of human nature in the Ethics. Viewing this work in contrast to Maimonides's Guide of the Perplexed, it makes clear that Spinoza can no longer be thought of as the founder of modern Jewish identity, nor should Maimonides be thought of as having paved the way for a modern secular worldview. Maimonides and Spinoza dramatically revises our understanding of both philosophers.

Contents:

Frontmatter

Contents

Acknowledgments

Introduction

One. Desire (Shahwa) and Spiritedness (Ghadab) vs. Conatus

Two. Veneration vs. Equality

Three. Forms vs. Laws of Nature

Four. Freedom vs. Determinism

Five. Teleology vs. Imagined Ideal

Six. Prudence vs. Imagination

Epilogue

Appendix: Richard Kennington's Spinoza and Esotericism in Spinoza's Thought

Index

Notes:

Description based upon print version of record.

Includes bibliographical references and index.

Description based on online resource; title from PDF title page (publisher's Web site, viewed 24. Apr 2020)

ISBN:

9786613655219

9781280678288

1280678283

9780226645766

0226645762

OCLC:

794328578