Spinoza, Descartes and Maimonides (Classic Reprint)
Spinoza, Descartes and Maimonides (Classic Reprint)

Author: Leon Roth

Publisher: Forgotten Books

Published: 2017-11-25

Total Pages: 148

ISBN-13: 9780331890907

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Excerpt from Spinoza, Descartes and Maimonides The Discourse on Method commences with an account of Descartes' search for truth. From the fact that although good sense is common to all, yet opinions on every impor tant question are different, he concluded that the existence of these differences, apparent particularly between and within the various systems of philosophy, must be due to faults in method. Even in the sphere which commanded most agreement and where demonstration had been achieved, that of mathematics, the methods commonly employed were too confused and fatiguing to be taken as a model. It was necessary, therefore, first to disengage the essential procedure of the purest types of mathematics, and then to take over the result for application to all the sc1ences alike. The characteristics of the logic so achieved might be expected to be the same as those of geometry and algebra - simplicity of premiss; universality of application; and inevitableness of conclusion. About the Publisher Forgotten Books publishes hundreds of thousands of rare and classic books. Find more at www.forgottenbooks.com This book is a reproduction of an important historical work. Forgotten Books uses state-of-the-art technology to digitally reconstruct the work, preserving the original format whilst repairing imperfections present in the aged copy. In rare cases, an imperfection in the original, such as a blemish or missing page, may be replicated in our edition. We do, however, repair the vast majority of imperfections successfully; any imperfections that remain are intentionally left to preserve the state of such historical works.

Maimonides & Spinoza
Maimonides & Spinoza

Author: Joshua Parens

Publisher: University of Chicago Press

Published: 2012-04-09

Total Pages: 236

ISBN-13: 0226645762

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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.

An Examination of the Singular in Maimonides and Spinoza
An Examination of the Singular in Maimonides and Spinoza

Author: Norman L. Whitman

Publisher: Springer Nature

Published: 2020-08-14

Total Pages: 285

ISBN-13: 3030494721

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This book presents an alternative reading of the respective works of Moses Maimonides and Baruch Spinoza. It argues that both thinkers are primarily concerned with the singular perfection of the complete human being rather than with attaining only rational knowledge. Complete perfection of a human being expresses the unique concord of concrete activities, such as ethics, politics, and psychology, with reason. The necessity of concrete historical activities in generating perfection entails that both thinkers are not primarily concerned with an “escape” to a metaphysical realm of transcendent or universal truths via cognition. Instead, both are focused on developing and cultivating individuals’ concrete desires and activities to the potential benefit of all. This book argues that rather than solely focusing on individual enlightenment, both thinkers are primarily concerned with a political life and the improvement of fellow citizens’ capacities. A key theme throughout the text is that both Maimonides and Spinoza realize that an apolitical life undermines individual and social flourishing.

Augustine and Spinoza
Augustine and Spinoza

Author: Milad Doueihi

Publisher: Harvard University Press

Published: 2010

Total Pages: 131

ISBN-13: 0674050630

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Election and grace are two key concepts that not only have shaped the relations between Judaism and Christianity, but also have formed a cornerstone of the Western philosophical discourse on the evolution and progress of humanity. Though Augustine and Spinoza can be shown to share a methodological approach to these concepts, their conclusions remain radically different. For the Church Father Augustine, grace defines human nature by the potential availability of divine intervention, thus setting the stage for the institutional and political legitimacy of the Church, the Christian state, and its justice. For Spinoza, on the other hand, election represents a unique but local form of divine intervention, marked by geography and historical context. Milad Doueihi maps out the consequences of such an encounter between these two thinkers in terms of their philosophical heritage and its continued relevance for contemporary discussions of religious diversity and autonomy. Augustine asserts a theological foundation for the political, whereas Spinoza radically separates philosophy, and thus authority, from theology in order to solicit a political democracy. In this sharply argued and deeply learned book, Milad Doueihi shows us how interconnections between the two thinkers have come to shape Western philosophy.

Spinoza and Medieval Jewish Philosophy
Spinoza and Medieval Jewish Philosophy

Author: Steven M. Nadler

Publisher: Cambridge University Press

Published: 2014-12-04

Total Pages: 249

ISBN-13: 1107037867

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The first of its kind, this essay collection offers an extensive examination of Spinoza's relationship to medieval Jewish philosophy.