Maimonides and Spinoza : Their Conflicting Views of Human Nature Hardback
by Joshua Parens
Part of the Emersion: Emergent Village resources for communities of faith series
Hardback
Description
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' "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.
Information
-
Available to Order - This title is available to order, with delivery expected within 2 weeks
- Format:Hardback
- Pages:240 pages
- Publisher:The University of Chicago Press
- Publication Date:01/08/2012
- Category:
- ISBN:9780226645742
Information
-
Available to Order - This title is available to order, with delivery expected within 2 weeks
- Format:Hardback
- Pages:240 pages
- Publisher:The University of Chicago Press
- Publication Date:01/08/2012
- Category:
- ISBN:9780226645742
