Maimonides’ "Guide of the Perplexed"
A Philosophical Guide
9780226637594
9780226395265
Maimonides’ "Guide of the Perplexed"
A Philosophical Guide
A classic of medieval Jewish philosophy, Maimonides’s Guide of the Perplexed is as influential as it is difficult and demanding. Not only does the work contain contrary—even contradictory—statements, but Maimonides deliberately wrote in a guarded and dissembling manner in order to convey different meanings to different readers, with the knowledge that many would resist his bold reformulations of God and his relation to mankind. As a result, for all the acclaim the Guide has received, comprehension of it has been unattainable to all but a few in every generation.
Drawing on a lifetime of study, Alfred L. Ivry has written the definitive guide to the Guide—one that makes it comprehensible and exciting to even those relatively unacquainted with Maimonides’ thought, while also offering an original and provocative interpretation that will command the interest of scholars. Ivry offers a chapter-by-chapter exposition of the widely accepted Shlomo Pines translation of the text along with a clear paraphrase that clarifies the key terms and concepts. Corresponding analyses take readers more deeply into the text, exploring the philosophical issues it raises, many dealing with metaphysics in both its ontological and epistemic aspects.
Drawing on a lifetime of study, Alfred L. Ivry has written the definitive guide to the Guide—one that makes it comprehensible and exciting to even those relatively unacquainted with Maimonides’ thought, while also offering an original and provocative interpretation that will command the interest of scholars. Ivry offers a chapter-by-chapter exposition of the widely accepted Shlomo Pines translation of the text along with a clear paraphrase that clarifies the key terms and concepts. Corresponding analyses take readers more deeply into the text, exploring the philosophical issues it raises, many dealing with metaphysics in both its ontological and epistemic aspects.
320 pages | 6 x 9 | © 2016
Philosophy: History and Classic Works, Philosophy of Religion
Political Science: Classic Political Thought
Religion: Judaism, Philosophy of Religion, Theology, and Ethics
Reviews
Table of Contents
Preface
Introduction
Background
1 A Concise Biography
2 The Mishneh Torah
3 Maimonides’ Graeco-Islamic Philosophical Heritage
The Guide of the Perplexed: Paraphrases and Analyses
4 Wrestling with Language (Guide I, Introduction and Chapters 1–68)
Paraphrase
Analysis
5 Kalām Claims and Counterclaims (Guide I, Chapters 69–76)
Paraphrase
Analysis
6 Philosophy Affirmed and Qualified; Creation (Guide II, Introduction and Chapters 1–31)
Paraphrase
Analysis
7 Prophecy (Guide II, Chapters 32–48)
Paraphrase
Analysis
8 The Metaphysics of the Chariot (Guide III, Introduction and Chapters 1–7)
Paraphrase
Analysis
9 Providence and (Apparent) Evil (Guide III, Chapters 8–25)
Paraphrase
Analysis
10 Rationalizing the Law (Guide III, Chapters 26–50)
Paraphrase
Analysis
11 True Knowledge and Perfection (Guide III, Chapters 51–54)
Paraphrase
Analysis
Conclusion
Notes
Additional Recommended Readings
Bibliography
Index
Introduction
Background
1 A Concise Biography
2 The Mishneh Torah
3 Maimonides’ Graeco-Islamic Philosophical Heritage
The Guide of the Perplexed: Paraphrases and Analyses
4 Wrestling with Language (Guide I, Introduction and Chapters 1–68)
Paraphrase
Analysis
5 Kalām Claims and Counterclaims (Guide I, Chapters 69–76)
Paraphrase
Analysis
6 Philosophy Affirmed and Qualified; Creation (Guide II, Introduction and Chapters 1–31)
Paraphrase
Analysis
7 Prophecy (Guide II, Chapters 32–48)
Paraphrase
Analysis
8 The Metaphysics of the Chariot (Guide III, Introduction and Chapters 1–7)
Paraphrase
Analysis
9 Providence and (Apparent) Evil (Guide III, Chapters 8–25)
Paraphrase
Analysis
10 Rationalizing the Law (Guide III, Chapters 26–50)
Paraphrase
Analysis
11 True Knowledge and Perfection (Guide III, Chapters 51–54)
Paraphrase
Analysis
Conclusion
Notes
Additional Recommended Readings
Bibliography
Index
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