Syllabus for Philosophy 11: Problems in Jewish Philosophy (1970)

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Introduction to Philosophy in General

1. The love of wisdom. A very broad significance, since wisdom very inclusive. 2. From Will Durant’s The Story of Philosophy (pp. 2, 3): “...philosophy accepts the hard and hazardous task of dealing with problems not yet open to the methods of science – problems like good and evil, beauty and ugliness, order and freedom, life and death; so soon as a field of inquiry yields knowledge susceptible of exact formulation it is called science.

General Jewish Thought

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

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