Perspectives on Maimonides: Philosophical and Historical Studies (The Littman Library of Jewish Civilization)

Moses Maimonides - philosopher, legalist, communal leader and physician - was the greatest intellectual figure that the Jewish world has known since the closing of the Talmud. This volume derives from a conference held at Tel Aviv University on Maimonides in Egypt. It comprises papers by leading scholars on Maimonides' philosophy and legal views and on the historical context in which he worked, arranged systemically. The philosophy section examines Maimonides' ethical doctrine; his paradoxical life-style, combining solitary contemplation and intense communal involvement; his 'guide of the perplexed', his attitude to mysticism, his use of language; and his theory of astronomy. The legal section deals with law and medicine; the relation of Maimonides' legal thought to the Talmud; his doctine of just war; and his theory of redemption and Messianism. The history section examines Maimonides' accession to the position of head of the Jewish community in its historical context, the time of the rise of the Ayyubid dynasty under Saladin.