University of Oregon. Dept of Philosophy

Philosophy 399 JEWISH PHILOSOPHY Fall 2005, crn 15088

Tuesday-Thursday   12 Noon-1:50 PM    301  Condon Hall

Dr. Jonathan Seidel 434-6551 jseidel@darkwing.uoregon.edu OR jonseidel@aol.com

 

A survey of the great Jewish philosophers and themes of Jewish philosophy in their historical and cultural context Our goal is to learn to carefully read, contemplate and write critically about philosophical issues that emerge in these texts AND to develop our own voice as philosophers and seekers of truth and wisdom.

 

Texts

Norbert Samuelson, Jewish Philosophy an Historical Introduction (Continuum 2003) The Jewish Philsophy Reader ed. Daniel Frank, Oliver Leaman and Charles Manekin (Routledge 2000) Recommended: The Cambridge Companion to Medieval Jewish Philosophy (Cambridge U Press 2003)

Requirements

 

CLASS ATTENDANCE AND PARTICIPATION IN DISCUSSION [10%]

 

  • Two short critical essays on the readings [10 %]
  • One take home midterm of 7 pages [30%] One take home final of 12 pages. [50%] The final is due on December 7 at 3PM and consists of two essays from a possible five.

 

Week One  Historical Background ; The Bible and Philosophical Exegesis. Myth and the Origins of Philosophy

Samuelson, Jewish Philosophy 1-77 ; Creation of the World Pp 3-23 in JPR.

Genesis 22. pp. 39-40; In what way is the Bible “philosophical”? How might we discern philosophical motifs, themes or questions in the Hebrew Bible? What are the distinctions between “mythic” and philosophical thinking. Comparison with Greek thought and mythic treatment of creation. The Book of Job and Divine Providence. Job 1-2, 42. CCMPH 16-37

 

Week Two  

 

A. Hellenistic Philosophical Influence on Jewish thought;

1 Greek philosophy and the Bible: Ecclesiastes and Proverbs. [Review of Aristotle and Plato on Creation as well]

2. Further study of Philo of Alexandria: on the Soul, Afterlife, Law and the People of Israel.  Philo,  On the Creation of the World

 

B.. Philosophical Themes in Early Rabbinic Literature : God, Torah, Israel, Ethics, Law chapter 8-13 (82-142) in Samuelson, Jewish Philosophy

 

 

Week Three  Jewish Philosophy in the world of Islam. Background: Samuelson, Jewish Philosophy pp. 147-174  Jewish “Kalaam” and Jewish Neoplatonism. Dawud al-Maqam’s Twenty Chapters; Sa’adia Gaon; Isaac Israeli and Solomon ibn Gabirol JPR182-201 Rec.: CCMPH 38-107 IST SHORT PAPER DUE

 

Week Four  Jewish NeoPlatonism.

Judah HaLevi and Abraham ibn Ezra .  Classical themes in Medieval Jewish philosophy: Reason, Revelation, Torah and the Destiny of the Jewish People. JPR pp. 203-219. Recommended: CCMJPH 91-135

 

Week Five Maimonides  Part One.  Background: Samuelson, Jewish Philosophy 177-222 – the Mishneh Torah and the Book of Knowledge 223-243 “Laws concerning the Foundations of the Torah” . Aristotelian Ethics and the Jewish Thinkers. Rec.: CCMJPH 136-156  MIDTERM DUE ON FRIDAY AFTERNOON

 

Week Six  Maimonides Part Two:  Maimonides and the Sciences  Maimonides and Jewish Political Theory Recommended CCMJPH 157-200

 

Week Seven: A. Rationalism, The Philosophy of Gersonides. Samuelson, JP 225-233. JPR pp. 256-261 from “The Wars of the Lord”.

 

Mysticism and Scholasticism   a.  Philosophy and Mysticism: Kabbalists among the Principles and the Sephirot. Kabbalah as “Authoritative” Jewish Theology Samuelson, JP -- 248-251 Recommended CCMJPH 218-257. b. Scholasticism and Jewish Philosophy CCMJPH 345-370

 

Week Eight  The Philosophy of Benedict Spinoza

Background Samuelson JP 263-275

Selections from the Theological-Political Treatise JPR 306-339

Spinoza’s Attack on Traditional Jewish Thought and his use of and critique of Maimonides. Heidi Ravven, “Spinoza’s Rupture with Tradition – his hints of a Jewish Modernity” (handout)

 

Week Nine :   Jewish Philosophy in the Age of  the Enlightenment: Mendelsohn on Judaism as “Divine Legislation” JPR 340-365 SECOND SHORT PAPER DUE Jewish Philosophy in the Age of Reform: The Essence of Judaism: Real? Rational?  Geiger, Holdheim, Krochmal, Hess, Cohen. Jewish philosophy after Kant and Hegel. JPR 398-441

 

Week Ten:  20th century Jewish Philosophy – before and after the Holocaust Rav Kook, Buber, Rosensweig, Heschel, Levinas JPR 442-551

 

Take home final of at least 12 pages due Wednesday December 7 at 3 PM at 3rd Floor of PLC in Instructors Exam Box  

 

 

 

 

Key Preliminary Questions:

 

·        What’s Jewish about Jewish Philosophy?

·        Do Torah and Philosophy share common goals?

·        Is all Western Philosophy “Religious Philosophy”?

·        What is a Philosophy of Judaism and how is that compatible or conflicting with Jewish philosophy?

·        How are the “Jewish philosophers” to be distinguished from Buddhist philosophers?

·        Love of Torah, love of Wisdom?

·        If a philosophical concept or principle is “borrowed” from another tradition does it become “Jewish”?

·        Ethics and Philosophy.. so you study and think and seek the truth, and how is that lived? How does our thinking about the truth, God, theodicy, ethics affect our behaviour?

·        How do Jewish and Christian philosophy converge with theology and theosophy?

·        Are the goals of mysticism and philosophy or the mystic and the philosopher different – how are they compatible with “theology”. Why is the study of philosophy a preliminary exercise for theologians?