Maimonides and St. Thomas on the Limits of Reason

Inbunden, Engelska, 1995

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Shows that Maimonides and St. Thomas reached strikingly similar conclusions regarding the limits of reason and that these limits, in turn, show the dimensions of philosophical understanding.Through a comparative philosophical examination of the diverse aporiae constituting the question of "providence," the author seeks to determine the degree of philosophical compatibility between Maimonides and St. Thomas Aquinas, and where disagreement is evident, its origin, nature and philosophical consequences. Dobbs-Weinstein retrieves some occluded aspects of their thought that render a better understanding of each thinker and provide a richer philosophical vocabulary for discussions of the limits of "reason," the consequent inevitable limits of language and interpretation and, above all, the relation between knowing and acting.This study also shows how and why, despite the fact that they adopt some radically different ontological principles, Maimonides and Aquinas reach strikingly similar conclusions concerning the existential dimensions of human life, especially the possibilities and modes of knowledge and the actions consequent upon them.

Produktinformation

Utgivningsdatum1995-07-01
Mått153 x 229 x 15 mm
Vikt562 g
FormatInbunden
SpråkEngelska
SerieSUNY series in Philosophy
Antal sidor278
FörlagState University of New York Press
ISBN9780791424155

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Filosofiska discipliner inom Filosofi och religion
Judendom inom Filosofi och religion

Apologia and Acknowledgments Abbreviations Introduction 1. Maimonides and Aquinas as Interpreters The Development of Philosophical, Biblical ExegesisMaimonides' and Aquinas' Approaches to InterpretationInterpretation as a Philosophical Practice2. The Book of Job Early Approaches to the Book of JobThe Nature of the InquiryMaimonides' Account of JobAquinas' Exposition on Job3. The Account of the Beginning or Creation IntroductionMaimonides' Arguments for CreationAquinas' Arguments for Creation4. Matter, Privation, and Evil IntroductionMaimonides' Ambivalence Toward MatterAquinas' Understanding of Matter, Privation, and Evil5. Natural Human Perfection and Its Limits IntroductionThe Nature of the Human Soul According to MaimonidesAquinas and the Harmony of the SoulConclusion6. Divine Law as a Perfection of Philosophical Ethics IntroductionThe Limits of Philosophical Ethics According to MaimonidesDivine Sanction as Universal ImperativeThe Limits of Legislative ReasonThe Displacement of Legislative Reason by Divine LawConclusion7. Hubris, Knowledge, and Provident Participation IntroductionThe Problem of JobModes of Participating ProvidenceConclusion: Excess and ReticenceEndnotes Bibliography Name Index Subject Index

"The book provides an important discussion of the agent intellect as conceived by Maimonides and by Aquinas. Dobbs-Weinstein does justice to both authors; her treatment is penetrating."It is a highly focused inquiry based on extensive study. While both Maimonides and Aquinas acknowledge a common intellectual tradition, their differing religious outlooks provide contrasting insights. The author makes them talk to one another and not past each other. The topics chosen for discussion are significant, not esoteric; they are issues confronted equally by medieval and contemporary moralists who subscribe to a Judaic or Christian belief system. Dobbs-Weinstein assists the reader by providing many accurate and helpful comparisons between the two." — Jude P. Dougherty, The Catholic University of America