Four Jewish Thinkers
Maimonides and Spinoza
Yirmiyahu Yovel, Sherman Professor of Philosophy at the Hebrew University, speaks about two significant Jewish philosophers and theologians: Maimonides and Baruch Spinoza. This is the first part of the Four Jewish Thinkers lecture series, co-produced by American Friends of the Hebrew University of Jerusalem. Through the lives and work of Maimonides and Spinoza, Yovel explores “the encounter between Judaism and rationalism." He structures his discussion around addressing three questions about each figure: What was their image of the deity, what is their view of the prophets, and what was their image of Judaism and the topic of the Mitzvah? He explains that Maimonides specifically argued against the personification of God, believed that the prophets were primarily philosophers, and believed in a primarily utilitarian purpose to Jewish law. Yovel also briefly reviews the ideology of Baruch Spinoza, another rationalist thinker. The lecture is followed with questions from the audience.
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