Central Problems of Medieval Jewish PhilosophyThis book deals with central issues of medieval Jewish philosophy. Among the subjects treated are divine immanence, the intellect, miracles, and esoteric writing and its limits. The work provides a new perspective on the history of Jewish philosophy in the Middle Ages. Relying on many as yet unpublished manuscripts, which enable it to offer new insights relating to such thinkers as Judah Halevi, Maimonides, and Gersonides, it also presents a new and original perception of the dynamics of Jewish thought in general. |
Contents
Divine Knowledge and ImmanenceAverroes Influence | 6 |
Two Kinds of ExistenceJoseph ibn Shem Tov God as the Perfect ExistenceSamuel ibn Zarza | 17 |
The Last Phase | 23 |
Teleology | 33 |
The Final Cause of All that Exists and | 42 |
The Intellect | 61 |
Miracles | 72 |
of the Guide of the Perplexed | 92 |
Esotericism | 145 |
Motives | 153 |
Judah | 161 |
Intention and Action | 170 |
Conclusion | 180 |
Conclusion | 219 |
A 14thCentury Radically Inclined Neoplatonist | 242 |
Epilogue Is It Possible to Write a History | 249 |
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Common terms and phrases
Abraham ibn Abraham ibn Ezra according Active Intellect arguments Aristotelian Aristotle Aristotle’s astral magic attributes Averroes Avicenna chapter circle commentary concept contradiction controversy creation Crescas Da'at David Kimhi discussion divine knowledge doctrine edited emanated esoteric esotericism essence existence explained Ezra’s final cause final end forms Gersonides Gibeon God’s Guide Hasdai Crescas Hebrew homonymy human knowledge ibid Ibn Ezra Ibn Tibbon ibn Zarza ideas idem interpretation Jerusalem Jewish Philosophy Joshua Judah Halevi Judaism Kabbalah Kalonymus knowledge of particulars knows Kuzari Maimonidean Maimonides Medieval Jewish Thought messianic Metaphysics miracle Moses multiplicity Nahmanides nature Neoplatonic passage perfect Perplexed philosophical position posterior predication prior and posterior prophecy prophets Provence Providence Rabbi radical Ramat-Gan rational rationalist rejection religious Saadya Gaon Samuel ibn scholars Schwartz Sefer ha-Kuzari sense separate intellects Shem Tov ibn Solomon soul species sphere Studies teleology term theory things thinkers tion Torah traditionalists truth writing