Language:
English
Year of publication:
2022
Titel der Quelle:
Aleph; Historical Studies in Science & Judaism
Angaben zur Quelle:
22,1-2 (2022) 101-123
Keywords:
Kaplan, Lawrence J.,
;
Maimonides, Moses,
;
Jewish cosmology
;
Prophecy Judaism
;
Philosophy
Abstract:
The parallelism between the cosmogonical and prophetological opinions in Maimonides' Guide of the Perplexed has long been debated. In the present study I buttress the claims of the traditionalist approach and suggest that it is the most convincing solution of the cosmogony-prophetology puzzle. Among all the existing solutions, the traditionalist approach (C1P3, C2P1, C3P2), represented by Lawrence Kaplan, provides the best match-ups of the two sets of opinions, but still has some difficulties in both philosophy and doxography. I address these difficulties by adducing new proofs to support the C1P3 and C2P1 links, and rectifying Kaplan's underestimate of the difference between P2 and P3. Accordingly, there is good reason to believe that Maimonides' own position is the opinion of the Mosaic Law (C1P3), a moderate naturalistic stance tempered by occasionalism. I argue for the coherence of this position on the basis of Maimonides' theory of prophecy, and conclude with a pedagogical explanation of the Aristotelian position presented in Sefer ha-Madda'.
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