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23Philosophical Religions from Plato to Spinoza: Reason, Religion, and Autonomy by Carlos FraenkelJournal of the History of Philosophy 52 (1): 171-172. 2014.
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17Maimonides' Guide of the Perplexed: A Philosophical Guide by Alfred L. IvryJournal of the History of Philosophy 55 (2): 345-346. 2017.Although there has never been a shortage of book-length commentaries on Plato's Republic, Descartes's Meditations, or Spinoza's Ethics, the same cannot be said of Maimonides's Guide of the Perplexed. A few Hebrew commentaries exist, but they are neither influential nor readily accessible to English-speaking audiences. So while there has been a noticeable resurgence of interest in Maimonides since the publication of Shlomo Pines's English translation in 1963, there is still a respect in which Ivr…Read more
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14I4 Miracles in Jewish philosophyIn Graham H. Twelftree (ed.), The Cambridge Companion to Miracles, Cambridge University Press. pp. 254. 2011.
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21Turning Toward Philosophy: Literary Device and Dramatic Structure in Plato's Dialogues, by Jill Gordon; x & 182 pp. University Park: Pennsylvania State University Press, 1999, $32.50. (review)Philosophy and Literature 24 (2): 500-502. 2000.
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1Arguing from Ignorance: Maimonides and Spinoza on ContingencyYearbook of the Irish Philosophical Society 182-201. 2006.
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29Teloh, H. Socratic Education in Plato's Early Dialogues. Notre Dame: University of Notre Dame Press, 1986. vii + 240 pp. $29.95 (review)Review of Metaphysics 41 (4): 859-860. 1988.
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25Plato. J. C. B. GOSLING. London: Routledge and Kegan Paul, 1973. viii, 319 p. $16.50. (review)Journal of Philosophy 72 (8): 221-224. 1975.
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1Maimonides: A Guide for Today's PerplexedBehrman House. 1991.The classic questions Maimonides contemplated in Guide for the Perplexed are addressed here in modern language. How should we describe God? What makes monotheism special? Why does evil exist in God's world? How will we know when the Messiah has come? Maimonides' philosophy and teachings, so significant to Jewish thought, made accessible to everyone.
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9James M. Edie 1927-1998Proceedings and Addresses of the American Philosophical Association 72 (2). 1998.
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25Plato's_ Parmenides_: The Conversion of the Soul (review)Philosophy and Literature 14 (1): 180-181. 1990.
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Ethics, Authority and AutonomyIn Michael L. Morgan & Peter Eli Gordon (eds.), The Cambridge companion to modern Jewish philosophy, Cambrige University Press. pp. 192--208. 2007.
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25R. B. Rutherford. The Art of Plato: Ten Essays in Platonic Interpretation. Cambridge: Harvard University Press, 1995. Pp. xv + 335. Cloth, $45.00. (review)Journal of the History of Philosophy 35 (3): 457-458. 1997.
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1Possessing the Good Forever: An Analysis of Erotic LoveTeoria 29 (2): 13-22. 2009.This paper examines erotic love from two perspectives: that offered by Diotima in the Symposium and that offered by the story of Adam and Eve in Genesis 2-3. In the first, love for another person is based on an appraisal of their desirable qualities. As such, it is eventually transcended as the lover comes to realize that more value can be found in institutions, the sciences, and eventually the form of Beauty. In the second, love describes the basic human need for partnership. Even in paradise, …Read more
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30Maimonides: Life and ThoughtBritish Journal for the History of Philosophy 22 (4): 843-845. 2014.
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La speranza come ideale moraleTeoria 27 (1): 83-97. 2007.This article discusses a respect in which modern thought differs from ancient: the role of hope. Although mentioned in ancient philosophy, hope is not a cardinal virtue, much less a presupposition of moral action. By contrast, hope takes center stage in the thought of Kant. Kant maintains that moral perfection is possible and always in the process of being realized but never actually comes to pass. No matter how much progress is made, there will always be something more to be accomplished. In th…Read more
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32Autonomy in Jewish philosophyCambridge University Press. 2001.Autonomy in Jewish Philosophy examines an important theme in Jewish thought from the Book of Genesis to the present day. Although it is customary to view Judaism as a legalistic faith leaving little room for free thought or individual expression, Kenneth Seeskin argues that this view is wrong. Where some see the essence of the religion as strict obedience to divine commands, Seeskin claims that God does not just command but forms a partnership with humans requiring the consent of both parties. L…Read more
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28Searching for a distant God: the legacy of MaimonidesOxford University Press. 2000.Monotheism is usually considered Judaism's greatest contribution to world culture, but it is far from clear what monotheism is. This work examines the notion that monotheism is not so much a claim about the number of God as a claim about the nature of God. Seeskin argues that the idea of a God who is separate from his creation and unique is not just an abstraction but a suitable basis for worship. He examines this conclusion in the contexts of prayer, creation, sabbath observance, repentance, re…Read more
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27Henry G. Wolz. Plato and Heidegger: In Search of Selfhood. Lewisburg, PA: Bucknell University Press, 1981. Pp. 311. $24.50. (review)Journal of the History of Philosophy 21 (4): 556-557. 1983.
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22Metaphysics and its transcendenceIn The Cambridge Companion to Maimonides, Cambridge University Press. pp. 82. 2005.
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3Jewish Messianic Thoughts in an Age of DespairCambridge University Press. 2012.Belief in the coming of a Messiah poses a genuine dilemma. From a Jewish perspective, the historical record is overwhelmingly against it. If, despite all the tragedies that have befallen the Jewish people, no legitimate Messiah has come forward, has the belief not been shown to be groundless? Yet for all the problems associated with messianism, the historical record also shows it is an idea with enormous staying power. The prayer book mentions it on page after page. The great Jewish philosophers…Read more
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27The Cambridge companion to Maimonides (edited book)Cambridge University Press. 2005.One aim of this series is to dispel the intimidation readers feel when faced with the work of difficult and challenging thinkers. Moses ben Maimon, also known as Maimonides (1138-1204), represents the high point of Jewish rationalism in the middle ages. He played a pivotal role in the transition of philosophy from the Islamic East to the Christian West. His greatest philosophical work, The Guide of the Perplexed, had a decisive impact on all subsequent Jewish thought and is still the subject of …Read more
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47Sanctity and SilenceAmerican Catholic Philosophical Quarterly 76 (1): 7-24. 2002.Maimonides’ negative theology has generated controversy ever since it was advanced in The Guide of the Perplexed. Unlike Aquinas,Maimonides does not allow predication by analogy or anything else that compromises the radical separation between God and creatures. The standard objection to Maimonides is that his view is so extreme that it undermines important features of religious life, most pointedly the institution of prayer. I argue that Maimonides was well aware of the problems caused by negati…Read more
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40Musings on the Meno, A New Translation with Commentary. By John E. Thomas. Martinus NijhotI: 1980. Pp. 222 + xi. (review)Ancient Philosophy 3 (2): 216-219. 1983.
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8Judaism and the idea of the futureIn Jonathan Jacobs (ed.), Judaic Sources and Western Thought: Jerusalem's Enduring Presence, Oxford University Press. pp. 49. 2011.