Jewish Philosophers on Reason and Revelation Essay -- Research Essays

Judaic Philosophers on understanding and RevelationFootnotes are MisssingABSTRACT Are reason and revelation opposite sources of truth? Do they contradict or complement each new(prenominal)? The present essay tries to give an answer to these ancient forefronts from a Judaic pluralistic point of view. I describe the essential views of the most classical representatives of the two main schools of Jewish thought the perspicaciousists Maimonides, Moses Mendelssohn, and Her gentlemans gentlemann Cohen, and the antirationalists Judah Halevi and Solomon Levi Steinheim. I show that even the antirationalists use the tools of rationalism, by which Talmudic-rabbinic thought is casingized, in an attempt to show that they are not irrationalists. The comparison of this attitude with the general philosophic tradition shows that Aristotles notion of potential knowledge is closer to Jewish thought than Platos view of recollection. IntroductionThroughout the history of philosophy and theology the question of the relation amongst reason and revelation as the two slipway of leading to the recognition of truth has always been discussed. Is human reason sure-footed of recognizing and understanding the phenomena of the physical world? Can it make any statements active the metaphysical realm (provided that it exists at all)? Or may be man has to depend on religious truth, as in Christianity e.g., which claims to be establish on the concept of incarnation as truth? What is the relation between reason and belief, between philosophy and theology? Does one exclude the other, or do both have a function with a crude concern? If so, perhaps one way is only of an instrumental character while the other is actually expressing the aim itself? Many answers have been prone during the long histor... ...th the general philosophical tradition, I would say that it contradicts Platos view as expressed in Meno according to which enquiry and learning are impractical they only are, or rem embering. Aristotles notion of potential knowledge, on the other hand, is truly close to the rational character of Jewish thought. I have assay to outline in a few words some contributions of the Jewish tradition which might serve for the promotion of advanced educational research. I am aware of the fact that the task that this general philosophical-historical outline has suggested, salvage has to be spelled out. I wish it only to serve as a theoretical base on which educational projects can be built, provided that they enlist into consideration the biblical view that man should use and develop his rational faculty, both to conquer(29) the world and to be aware of his being created.