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October 31, 1958

Authors and Books: Philosophy of Purpose (1958)

General Jewish Thought
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Philo 18 (1971)

Add the following to discussion of Maimonides on Free Will and Determinism. Maimonides distinguishes between actional attributes, which may be positive, and essential attributes, which are all negative – such as: existence. Not only with regard to scriptural attributes, but even the four intellectually conceived attributes (life, power, knowledge, will) are actional. Hence, all of them must be accepted as homonyms, and their use is strictly equivocal. Therefore, when we speak of knowledge as applied to God and as applied to man, they are of different orders of meaning, and have nothing in common but the word itself.
General Jewish Thought

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Problems in Jewish Philosophy: Assignments, Reports, and Papers (1972)

All students must read N. Lamm, Faith and Doubt, chap. I and chap. III. Précis of chap. I must be submitted by midterm date, and that of chap. III by the last regular session of the semester. Reports – one report by each student, to be submitted by midterm date: a) Lev Shestov, Athens and Jerusalem; b) the behaviorism debate: B.F. Skinner, Beyond Freedom and Dignity, and Noam Chomsky, New York Review of Books, December 30, 1971; c) faith as a mitzvah in Maimonides; d) synopsis of Mortimer Adler et al., The Idea of Freedom, vol. I (Institute for Philosophical Study); e) the philosophical nature of halakhic norms – Faith and Doubt chap. IX, מפרשי המקרא על לא תסור: רש״י, רמב״ם, כלי יקר, והעמק דבר; מדרש שמואל על אבות לסוף פרק ה על המשנה הפך בה והפך בה; שו״ת עמק הלכה חלק ב סימן א; g) Kant on “character” – Critique of Pure Reason, part III, and Anthropology, part II. Research papers – examine the following to determine views on “character.” Does the thinker in question have a consistent and systematic view of character? If there is no single rule you can discern, can you determine if there are specific ethical notions or moral traits which are especially valued? Are there any problems in character, or in ethical philosophy, that the author takes up? a) Hazon Ish – there are also a number of other works that have recently appeared on the Hazon Ish; b) R. Shneur Zalman of Ladi – the secondary sources will guide you to the primary sources. See Teitlbaum (vol. II): החזון איש על עניני אמונה (a Chabad publication), pp. 113–122, and the growing literature of the movement; c) Saadia Gaon – analyze carefully part X, and consult the various histories of Jewish philosophy for their observations; d) R. Abraham Maimonides – check through ספר המפסיק לעובד ה; e) Rav Kook – the recently published אורות ה׳, chap. II and chap. III; f) R. Israel Salanter – use Katz as your guide both to sources and for formulation; g) R. Hayyim of Volozhin – read through his נפש החיים (commentary on “ה׳”)…
General Jewish Thought

Assorted

Student Notes on Philosophy 78 (1969)

ספר התניא - every man has an animal soul, a נפש הבהמתית, vital principle in the body – הנפש הבהמתית, הגוף, ואת הצד האנושי שבאדם. הנפש האלקית – only jews have it, has three parts (1) נפש (2) רוח (3) נשמה – highest of three parts. כמו שהאלוקות מתגלה בי ספירות, כמו כן האדם מתבטא רוחניותו בעשר הספירות. החידוש המיוחד שבתניא
General Jewish Thought