The Jewish Philosophy Reader / Edition 1

by Dan Frank, Oliver Leaman, Charles Manekin

Overview

The Jewish Philosophy Reader is the first comprehensive anthology of classic writings on Jewish philosophy from the Bible to the present. Complementing the History of Jewish Philosophy (Routledge, 1997), the Reader is divided into four parts:
* Foundations and First Principles
* Medieval and Renaissance Jewish Philosophy
* Modern Jewish Thought
* Contemporary Jewish Philosophy
Each section is clearly introduced by the editors and includes writings from the leading figures of Jewish thought.
Major thinkers featured include:
· Baeck · Bergman · Borowitz · Buber · Cohen · Curley · Fledman · Frankel · Geiger · Goodman · Haberman · Hartman · Heschel · Hess · Israeli · Kellner · Kook · Leaman · Lesser · Levinas · Maimonides · Maybaum · Mayer · Morgan · Novak · Plasknow · Plaut · Ravven · Rosenzweig · Schatz · Scholem · Seekin · Spinoza · Stroumsa · Wolf · and Zunz
Ideal for introductory courses in Jewish studies and Jewish thought, The Jewish Philosophy Reader provides a thorough introduction to, and collection of, the leading writers and commentaries on the subject. It will be essential reading for both students and scholars of Jewish thought.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780415168595
Publisher:	Taylor & Francis
Publication date:	09/14/2000
Pages:	640
Product dimensions:	6.88(w) x 9.69(h) x (d)

About the Author

Dan Frank is Professor of Philosophy, University of Kentucky, Oliver Leaman is Lecturer in Philosophy at Liverpool John Moores University and Charles Manekin is Professor of Philosophy, University of Maryland.

Table of Contents

Preface; Acknowledgements; I. Foundations and First Principles; The Bible and Philosophical Exegesis; 1. Creation: Divine Power and Human Freedom; Genesis 1-3; Philo,On the Creation of the World (1st century CE); Maimonides, The Guide of the Perplexed (1190); David Hartman,Fundamentals of a Covenantal Anthropology (1985); 2. Agedah (The Binding of Isaac): Divine Commandments and Moral Duties; Genesis 22; Maimonides, The Guide of the Perplexed (1190); Emil Fackenheim, Abraham and the Kantians: Moral Duties and Divine Commandments (1973); 3. 'Hardening of Hearts': On Free Will and Repentance; Exodus 9, 10, 14; Maimonides, Commentary of the Mishnah, Eight Chapters (1168); David Shatz, 'Freedom, Repentance, and Hardening of the Hearts' (1997, revised 1999); 4. Job and Divine Providence; Job 1-2, 42; Oliver Leaman,'Job' (1995); Kenneth Seeskin, 'Job and the Problem of Evil' (1990); Maimonides, The Guide of the Perplexed (1190); Gersonides, The Wars of the Lord (1329); Daniel H. Frank, 'Prophecy and Invulnerability' (1999); Talmud, Mishnah and Midrash as Sources for Philosophical Reflection ; 5. Justice: Lenn E. Goodman, 'Toward a Theory of Justice' (1991); Harry Lesser, 'Levinas and the Jewish Ideal of the Sage' (1996); Lenn E. Goodman, 'Friendship in Aristotle, Miskawayh and al-Ghazali (1996); David Novak, 'Religious Human Rights in Judaic Texts' (1996); 6. Prayer and Faith: Bachya Ibn Paquda, The Book of Direction to the Duties of the Heart (c. late eleventh century); Isaac Abrabanel, Principles of Faith (1494); Oliver Leaman, 'Back to the Bible' (1995); MenachemKellner, 'Heresy and the Nature of Faith in Medieval Jewish Philosophy' (1987); 7. Free Will and Divine Foreknowledge: Oliver Leaman, 'Maimonides' (1995); Seymour Feldman, 'The Binding of Isaac: A Test-Case of Divine Foreknowledge' (1985); Jeremy Cohen, 'Philosophical Exegesis in Historical Perspective: The Case of the Binding of Isaac' (1985); 8. Election: David Novak, 'The Election of Israel' (1993); 9. Law and Rationality: Aryeh Botwinick, 'Nietzsche and the Ascent from Knowing to Being' (1997); Maimonides, The Guide of the Perplexed (1190); Emmanuel Levinas, 'The Temptation of Temptation' (1971); David Novak, 'The Talmud as a Source for Philosophical Reflection ' (1997); Issues of Meaning: Maimonides, The Guide of the Perplexed (1190); Oliver Leaman, 'Is a Jewish Practical Philosophy Possible?' (1995); Further Reading II. Medieval and Renaissance Jewish Philosophy; 11. Jewish Kalam: Dawud al-Muqammis, The Twenty Chapters (c. first half of the ninth century); Saadia Gaon, The Book of Beliefs and Convictions (c. early tenth century) 12. Jewish Neoplatonism: Isaac Israeli, The Book of Definitions (c. late ninth-early tenth century); Isaac Israeli, The Mantua Text ('Chapter on the Elements') (c. late ninth-early tenth centuries); Isaac Israeli, The Book on Spirit and Soul (c. late ninth-early tenth centuries); Solomon Ibn Gabirol, The Fountain of Life (c. eleventh century); 13. Judah Halevi and Abraham Ibn Ezra: Judah Halevi, The Book of Refutation and Proof on Behalf of the Despised Religion (The Kuzari) (c. 1140); 14. Maimonides: Maimonides, The Code of Maimonides (Mishneh Torah): The Book of Knowledge (1178); Maimonides, The Guide of the Perplexed (1190); 15. Jewish Aristotelianism in Spain and Provence: Isaac Albalag, The Emendation of the 'Opinions' (late thirteenth century?); Joseph ibn Kaspi, A Refining Pot for Silver (before 1331); Moses of Narbonne, The Treatise on Choice (1362); Gersonides, The WArs of the Lord (1329); 16. The Conservative Reaction in Spain: Chasdai Crescas, The Light of the Lord (1410); Abraham Bivach (Bibago), The Way of Faith (mid-fifteenth century); Isaac Abrabanel, Commentary on Joshua (1484); Isaac Abrabanel, The Works of God (1501); 17. Jewish Philosophy in the Italian Renaissance: Elijah Del Medigo, The Examination of the True Religion (196); Leone Ebreo (Judah Abrabanel), Dialogues on Love (after 1502); Obadiah Sforno, Light of the Peoples (1537); Further Reading; III. Modern Jewish Thought: Between History and Tradition; 18. A Critique of Traditional Religion; Spinoza, Theological-Political Treatise (1670); 19. Judaism and the Enlightenment; Moses Mendelssohn, Jerusalem (1783); Saul Ascher, Leviathan (1792); History and Tradition in Nineteenth-Century Jewish Thought; 20. Scholarship and Religious Reform; Ismar Schorsch, 'Ideology and History in the Age of Emancipation' (1975); Immanuel Wolf, 'On the Concept of a Science of Judaism' (1822); Leopold Zunz, The Liturgical Addresses of the Jews (1832); Abraham Geiger, Letter to J. Derenbourg (1836); Samson Raphael Hirsch, 'The Lamentations of Tisha Beav' (1855); Samuel David Luzzatto, Letter to Salomon Rappoport (1860); Gershom Scholem, 'The Science of Judaism--Then and Now' (1959); 21. The Authority of Tradition; Samuel Holdheim, The Ceremonial Law in the Messianic Era (1845); Zecharias Frankel, 'The Symptoms of the Time' (1845); Samson Raphael Hirsch, 'Religion Allied to Progress' (1854); 22. Revelation, Redemption, and the Nature of Judaism; Abraham Geiger, Judaism and Its History (1866); Solomon Ludwig Steinheim, 'On the Perennial and the Ephemeral in Judaism' (1842); Samuel Holdheim, 'This is Our Task' (1853); Nachman Krochmal, The Guide of the Perplexed of the Time (1851); Heinrich Graetz, 'The Structure of Jewish History' (1846); Moses Hess, Rome and Jerusalem (1862); Further Reading; IV. Contemporary Jewish Philosophy: Immortality and Messianism; 23. Hermann Cohen, Religion of Reason Out of the Sources of Judaism (1919); Richard Rubenstein, After Auschwitz (1966); 24. Other Faiths; Ignaz Maybaum, 'Franz Rosenzweig--Today's Guide for the Perplexed' (1973); Franz Rosenzweig, The Star of Redemption (1921); Franz Rosenzweig, Letters to Eugen Rosenstock-Huessey (1916); Franz Rosenzweig, The Star of Redemption (1921); 25. Prophecy and the Community; Joseph Dov Soloveitchik, 'The Community' (1978); Abraham Isaac Kook, 'The Sage is More Important than the Prophet' (1914); Martin Buber, 'Biblical Leadership' (1928); 26. Rationalism; Steven S. Schwarzschild, 'To Re-Cast Rationalism' (1962); Eugene B. Borowitz, 'The Autonomous Jewish Self' (1984); 27. Evil and Suffering; Hermann Cohen, Religion of Reason Out of the Sources of Judaism (1919); Abraham Isaac Kook, The Lights of Penitence (1925); Yeshayahu Leibowitz, 'Fear of God in the Book of Job' (1974); 28. Issues of Inclusion; Judith Plaskow, 'Facing the Ambiguity of God' (1991); Heidi M. Ravven, 'Creating a Jewish Feminist Philosophy' (1986); Judith Plaskow, 'Beyond Egalitarianism' (1990); Abraham Isaac Kook, 'Fragments of Light; A View as to the Reasons for the Commandments' (1910); 29. Election and Covenant; Franz Rosenzweig, The Star of Redemption (1921); Leo Baeck, 'Mystery and Commandment' (1921); 30. Holocaust; Emil Fackenheim, The Jewish Bible After the Holocaust: A Re-Reading (1990); Arthur Cohen, 'Thinking the Tremendum' (1981); Emmanuel Levinas, 'Hear Israel' (1963); 31. The State of Israel/Zionism; Achad Ha-Am, 'Pinser and Political Zionism' (1902); David Hartman, 'The Challenge of Modern Israel' (1987); A.D. Gordon, Opening Address, World Conference of Ha-poel Hatzair (1920); 32. Reason and Faith; Leo Strauss, 'The Mutual Influence of Theology and Philosophy' (1954); 33. Belief; S.H. Bergman, Faith and Reason (1961); Richard Rubenstein, 'On Jewish Belief' (1966); Abraham Joshua Heschel, 'On Prayer' (1969); Martin Buber, 'The Faith of Judaism' (1928); Further Reading; Index of Names; Index of Subjects and Places

Editorial Reviews

'This is an immensely wide-ranging anthology, covering all the great themes of Jewish reflection and spanning the eras from biblical texts through the medieval Jewish philosophers to modern times. I have no doubt that it will quickly become the standard text for courses on the history of Jewish thought.' - Jonathan Sacks, Jewish Chronicle

'This is an immensely wide-ranging anthology, covering all the great themes of Jewish reflection and spanning the eras from biblical texts through the medieval Jewish philosophers to modern times. I have no doubt that it will quickly become the standard text for courses on the history of Jewish thought.' - Jonathan Sacks, Jewish Chronicle

From the Publisher