Maimonides and the Pre-Maimonidean Jewish Philosophical Tradition According to Hermann Cohen
Journal of Jewish Thought and Philosophy 18 (1):1-26 (2010)
| Abstract | This paper examines Hermann Cohen's idiosyncratic construction of a medieval Jewish philosophical tradition, focusing primarily, though not exclusively, on his Charakteristik der Ethik Maimunis . This construction, not unlike modern accounts, is filtered through the central place of Maimonides. For Cohen, however, Maimonides' centrality is defined not by his systematization of Aristotelianism, but by his elevation of ethics over metaphysics. The ethical and pantheistic concerns of Maimonides' precursors, according to this reading, anticipate his uniqueness. Whereas Shlomo ibn Gabirol's pantheistic doctrine of emanation, for example, assigned little weight to ethics, Abraham ibn Daud rebelled against such a doctrine. Ibn Daud—much like Bahya ibn Paquda and Abraham ibn Ezra—becomes part of a Jewish philosophical tradition that culminates in Maimonides' rejection of Aristotelian metaphysics. In particular, this paper examines the way in which Cohen envisaged the pre-Maimonidean philosophical tradition, putting his highly critical reading of Shlomo ibn Gabirol and his pantheistic obsession with prime matter in counterpoint with his more favorable readings of Abraham ibn Daud and Bahya ibn Paquda | |||||||||
| Keywords | No keywords specified (fix it) | |||||||||
| Categories | ||||||||||
| Options |
|
|||||||||
Download options| PhilPapers Archive |
  |
| External links |
 Try with proxy. |
| Through your library | Configure |
Similar books and articlesCarlos Fraenkel (2007). Beyond the Faithful Disciple Samuel Ibn Tibbon's Criticism of Maimonides. In Jay Michael Harris (ed.), Maimonides After 800 Years: Essays on Maimonides and His Influence. Distributed by Harvard University Press.
Isaac Husik (2002). A History of Mediaeval Jewish Philosophy. Dover Publications.
Charles Harry Manekin (ed.) (2007). Medieval Jewish Philosophical Writings. Cambridge University Press.
Menachem Marc Kellner (2010). Torah in the Observatory: Gersonides, Maimonides, Song of Songs. Academic Studies Press.
George Y. Kohler (2010). Finding Gods Purpose: Hermann Hohens Use of Maimonides to Establish the Authority of Mosaic Law. Journal of Jewish Thought and Philosophy 18 (1):75-105.
Colette Sirat (1990). A History of Jewish Philosophy in the Middle Ages. Editions De La Maison des Sciences De L'Homme.
James A. Diamond (2010). Exegetigal Idealization: Hermann Cohens Religion of Reason Out of the Sources of Maimonides. Journal of Jewish Thought and Philosophy 18 (1):49-73.
Daniel H. Frank, Oliver Leaman & Charles Harry Manekin (eds.) (2000). The Jewish Philosophy Reader. Routledge.
James T. Robinson (2007). Maimonides, Samuel Ibn Tibbon, and the Construction of a Jewish Tradition of Philosophy. In Jay Michael Harris (ed.), Maimonides After 800 Years: Essays on Maimonides and His Influence. Distributed by Harvard University Press.
Robert Erlewine (2010). Hermann Cohen, Maimonides, and the Jewish Vvirtue of Humility. Journal of Jewish Thought and Philosophy 18 (1):27-47.
Analytics
Monthly downloads |
Added to index2010-08-16Total downloads25 ( #49,632 of 549,122 )Recent downloads (6 months)20 ( #2,866 of 549,122 )How can I increase my downloads? |
My notes
Discussion
