Jewish philosophy
Jewish philosophy (Hebrew: פילוסופיה יהודית) includes all philosophy carried out by Jews or in relation to the religion of Judaism. Until the modern Haskalah (Jewish Enlightenment) and Jewish emancipation, Jewish philosophy was preoccupied with attempts to reconcile coherent new ideas into the tradition of Rabbinic Judaism, thus organizing emergent ideas that are not necessarily Jewish into a uniquely Jewish scholastic framework and worldview. With their admission into broader modern society, Jews with secular educations embraced or developed entirely new philosophies to meet the world’s demands in which they now found themselves.
Medieval rediscovery of ancient Greek philosophy among the Geonim of 10th-century Babylonian academies brought rationalist philosophy into Biblical-Talmudic Judaism. During the Geonic period, philosophy was generally in competition with Kabbalah. Both schools would become part of classic Rabbinic literature, though the decline of scholastic rationalism coincided with historical events that drew Jews to the Kabbalistic approach. For the Ashkenazi Jews of Western Europe, emancipation and encounters with secular thought from the 18th century onwards altered how philosophy was viewed. Ashkenazi Jews in Eastern Europe and Sephardi communities had comparatively later, more ambivalent interactions with secular cultures than those of Western Europe. In the varied responses to modernity, Jewish philosophical ideas were developed across a range of emerging religious movements. These developments could be seen as either the continuation of or breaks from the canon of Rabbinic philosophy of the Middle Ages and the other historical dialectic aspects of Jewish thought, resulting in diverse contemporary Jewish attitudes to philosophical methods.
Moses Maimonides, in his Guide for the Perplexed, argued extensively for negative attributes. For Maimonides, every positive attribute assigned to God implies a deficiency, so the only way to speak correctly about God is to do so through negation. For example, to say God is “not-ignorant” is more accurate than saying God is “wise,” as the former negates a flaw rather than ascribing a limiting quality.
Medieval Jewish thought involved a dynamic interplay between rationalism and mysticism, grappling with the relationship between faith and reason, divine law and human understanding. Key themes included the unity of Jewish law, the use of philosophical methods to interpret religious texts, and the reconciliation of Aristotelian philosophy with Jewish beliefs, with figures like Maimonides being central to this synthesis. This era saw a diverse range of responses to both traditional and new philosophical ideas, fostering a rich intellectual tradition that continued to evolve in later centuries.
Key features and themes
- Reason and faith: Thinkers sought to reconcile Jewish tradition with philosophy, often using rational frameworks to explain religious concepts. This was heavily influenced by the rediscovery of Greek philosophy, particularly the works of Aristotle.
- Interpretation of texts: Medieval Jewish philosophy employed non-literal methods of interpretation, such as allegory, to reconcile religious texts with philosophical reasoning. Maimonides, in particular, is known for his complex and sometimes deliberately obscure writing style, which encouraged readers to find truth for themselves.
- Concept of God: Maimonides, for instance, equated the God of Abraham with the “Necessary Being” of philosophical tradition, emphasizing God’s uniqueness and the importance of loving and fearing God due to this uniqueness.
- Ethics and perfection: The concept of human perfection was central, with an emphasis on fulfilling commandments to imitate God’s virtues. This involved both intellectual understanding and ethical action.
- Dual traditions: The period saw a tension and sometimes competition between rationalist philosophy and Jewish mysticism (Kabbalah). Both schools of thought became part of classic Rabbinic literature, though mysticism gained prominence at certain points.
Influences and key figures
- Influences: Medieval Jewish philosophers were influenced by both Islamic theological speculation and the philosophers of classical antiquity. Later, Christian Scholasticism also played a role. Key figures include Saadiah Gaon, Maimonides, Judah Halevi, and Gersonides.
- Maimonides: Perhaps the most influential figure, Maimonides attempted to reconcile Aristotelianism and science with the Torah. His Guide for the Perplexed is a prime example of this effort, often exploring the purpose of religious laws in a historical and philosophical context.
- Mysticism: Scholars like Gershom Scholem have studied the history of Jewish mysticism, which includes works like the Zohar and the writings of Isaac Luria.
Legacy
- The intellectual developments of the medieval period laid the groundwork for later Jewish thought.
- Responses to modernity in later centuries were shaped by this tradition, with some movements representing continuations or breaks from medieval philosophical ideas.
AI responses may include mistakes.
[1] https://www.myjewishlearning.com/article/medieval-jewish-philosophy-reason-in-a-religious-age/
[2] https://ndpr.nd.edu/reviews/jewish-philosophy-in-the-middle-ages-science-rationalism-and-religion/
[3] https://iep.utm.edu/maimonid/
[4] https://research.lib.buffalo.edu/jewishthought/medieval-thought
[5] wikipedia/en/Jewish_philosophy
[7] https://www.thecollector.com/who-were-jewish-philosophers-medieval-period/
[9] https://www.amazon.com/Introduction-Medieval-Philosophy-Introductions-Religion/dp/1845117476
[10] https://www.amazon.com/History-Jewish-Philosophy-Middle-Ages/dp/0521397278
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