Maimonides' Guide of the Perplexed: A Critical Guide 9781108480512, 9781108575324

Table of contents :
Cover
Half-title
Series information
Title page
Copyright information
Contents
List of Contributors
Introduction
Part I Form
Chapter 1 The Structure and Purpose of the Guide
1.1 R. Joseph and His Perplexity
1.2 The Trajectory of the Guide
1.3 Good, but Not Wise: Job and R. Joseph
Chapter 2 The Guide as Biblical Commentary
2.1 Introduction
2.2 What and Who Are Commentaries for?
2.3 The Guide as a Conceptual Commentary
2.4 The Guide as a Formal Commentary
2.5 Conclusion
Part II Human Beginnings
Chapter 3 Paradise and the Fall
Chapter 4 Maimonides on the Nature of Good and Evil
4.1 Maimonides the Non-Cognitivist?
4.2 Maimonides the Weak Cognitivist?
4.3 Maimonides the Strong Cognitivist?
4.4 The Ethics of Intellectual Perfection
4.5 Conclusion
Part III The Creator
Chapter 5 The Scope of Metaphysics
5.1 The Account of the Chariot and Ezekiel's Vision of the Chariot
Chapter 6 His Existence Is Essentiality: Maimonides as Metaphysician
6.1 Metaphysical Maimonides
6.2 The Claims and Arguments
6.3 The Puzzles
6.4 Extant Resolutions
6.4.1 Go Radical
6.4.2 Go Conservative
6.5 New Resolution: Go Maimonidean
6.5.1 Predicates and Attributes
6.5.2 What Is ''Pure Equivocation''?
6.5.3 The View
6.5.4 Puzzles Resolved
6.6 Conclusion
Chapter 7 ''Whereof One Cannot Speak''
7.1 Maimonides' Theory of Divine Ineffability
7.2 The Puzzle of Incomprehensible Knowledge
7.3 Non-propositional Knowledge
7.3.1 Knowledge-how
7.3.2 Phenomenal Knowledge
7.3.3 Indexical Knowledge
7.4 Non-propositional Knowledge and Apophaticism
7.5 Conclusion: Apophaticism and Objectivity
Part IV The Created
Chapter 8 Creation and Miracles in the Guide
8.1 Introduction
8.2 Creation
8.3 Creation and Miracles
8.4 Conclusion
Chapter 9 The Prophetic Method in the Guide
9.1 Background
9.1.1 Constraints from Jewish Theology
9.1.2 Method Individuation
9.1.3 Maimonides' Cognitive Psychology
9.1.4 Maimonides' Epistemology
9.2 The Prophetic Method
9.2.1 Component 1: Emanation (e)
9.2.2 Component 2: Rationalized Emanation (RE)
9.2.3 Component 3: The Perfect Imagination (PI)
9.2.4 Component 3: Rationalized Impressions (RI)
9.2.4.1 Maimonides on Method Individuation
9.2.4.2 Parabolic and Non-Parabolic Prophecy
9.2.4.3 Extended and Non-Extended Parabolic Rationalized Impressions
9.3 Components 4 and 5: Memory and Output Beliefs
9.3.1 Contra Belief Formation in Component 3
9.3.1.1 The Coherence Argument
9.3.1.2 The Negative Theology Argument
9.3.2 Contra Belief Formation in Component 2
9.3.2.1 The Extended Parable Argument
9.3.2.2 The Non-Extended Parable Argument
9.3.3 The General Argument
9.4 The Epistemology of Prophecy
Chapter 10 Maimonides' Modalities
10.1 The Logic of the Modalities
10.2 Guide 2.14: Possibility as Potentiality, Necessity as Actuality
10.3 Necessitation versus Purposeful Particularization: Guide 2.19-22
10.4 Avicenna and the Possible/Necessary of Existence and in Virtue of Itself/through a Cause
10.5 The Falasifa versus the Mutakallimun on Possibility and Necessity
10.6 Summing up
Part V Human Finitude
Chapter 11 Maimonides' Critique of Anthropocentrism and Teleology
11.1 Preamble
11.2 Aristotle on Teleology I
11.3 Digression: An Aristotelian Proof for Creation
11.4 Aristotle on Teleology II
11.5 The Law on Teleology
11.6 Biblical Proof Texts
11.7 Conclusion
Chapter 12 Maimonides and the Problem(s) of Evil
12.1 What Is Maimonides' Problem with Evil?
12.2 Matter and the Inexorability of Evil
12.3 Naturalistic Justice
12.4 Egocentrism and Anthropocentrism (Guide 3.12)
12.5 Conclusion
Part VI Human Ends
Chapter 13 The Nature and Purpose of Divine Law
13.1 The Source and Goal of the Law
13.2 Creation and the Law
13.3 Idolatry and the Law
13.4 Divine Names and the Occult
Chapter 14 Maimonides on Human Perfection and the Love of God
14.1 Introduction
14.2 Predecessors
14.3 Love of God in the Mishneh Torah
14.4 Love of God in the Guide
14.5 Intellectual Perfection in the Guide
14.6 Love and Knowledge
14.7 Conclusion
Bibliography
Index