Maimonides

Description:
A thorough and accessible introduction to Maimonides, arguably one of the most important Jewish philosophers of all time. This work incorporates material from Maimonides' philosophical, legal, and medical works, providing a synoptic picture of Maimonides' philosophical range.* Maimonides was, and remains, one of the most influential and important Jewish legalists, who devoted himself to a reconceptualization of the entirety of Jewish law* Offers both an intellectual biography and an exploration of the most important philosophical works in Maimonides' corpus* Persuasively argues that Maimonides did see himself as engaged in philosophical dialogue* Maimonides' philosophy is presented in a way that is accessible to readers with little background in either Jewish or medieval philosophy* Secondary readings are provided at the end of each chapter, as well as a bibliography of recent scholarly articles on some of the more pressing philosophical topics covered in the book

Review:
(T. M. Rudavsky) interpretations are excellent summaries of the master's teachings and readers can gain much information and thought-provoking ideas from reading it. (The Jewish Eye, April 2010)

Table of Contents:
Preface. Abbreviations. 1. Life and Works. 2. Language, Logic, and the Art of Demonstration. 3. What we can say about God. 4. Philosophical Cosmology. 5. Philosophical Anthropology. 6. Naturalism and Supernaturalism: PROPHECY, Miracles, and Divine Will. 7. Philosophical Theology: Divine Providence, Human Freedom, and Theodicy. 8. Morality, Politics, and the Law. 9. On Human Felicity. Bibliography. Index.

Author Biography:
T. M. Rudavsky is Professor of Philosophy at The Ohio State University. She specializes in medieval Jewish philosophy, and is the author of Time Matters: Creation, Time and Cosmology in Medieval Jewish Philosophy (2000). She has edited three volumes: Divine Omniscience and Omnipotence in Medieval Philosophy: Islamic, Jewish, and Christian Perspectives (1984); Gender and Judaism: Tradition and Transformation (1995); and The Cambridge History of Medieval Jewish Philosophy (co-edited with Steven Nadler, 2009). In addition, she has written numerous articles pertaining to medieval Jewish philosophy.