Maimonides' Guide of the Perplexed
A Critical Guide

This is the first scholarly collection in English devoted to Maimonides' Guide of the Perplexed.

Daniel Frank (Edited by), Aaron Segal (Edited by)

9781108727600, Cambridge University Press

Paperback / softback, published 22 June 2023

326 pages
22.9 x 15.2 x 1.8 cm, 0.476 kg

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.

Introduction Daniel Frank and Aaron Segal
Part I. Form: 1. The structure and purpose of the guide Daniel Frank
2. The guide as biblical commentary Igor de Souza
Part II. Human beginnings: 3. Paradise and the fall Shira Weiss
4. Maimonides on the nature of good and evil Daniel Rynhold
Part III. The creator: 5. The scope of metaphysics Daniel Davies and Charles H. Manekin
6. His existence is essentiality: maimonides as metaphysician Aaron Segal
7. 'Whereof one cannot speak' Silvia Jonas
Part IV. The created: 8. Creation and miracles in the guide T. M. Rudavsky
9. The prophetic method Dani Rabinowitz
10. Maimonides' modalities Josef Stern
Part V. Human finitude: 11. Maimonides' critique of anthropocentrism and teleology Warren Zev Harvey
12. Maimonides and the problem(s) of evil David Shatz
Part VI. Human ends: 13. The nature and purpose of divine law Moshe Halbertal
14. Maimonides on human perfection and the love of god Steven Nadler
Bibliography.

Subject Areas: Judaism: theology [HRJT], Judaism [HRJ], Social & political philosophy [HPS], Ethics & moral philosophy [HPQ], Philosophy: epistemology & theory of knowledge [HPK]