ABSTRACT
This study aims to analyse
the Aristotelian influence in Musa Ben Maimoon, the Jewish philosopher famous
for his theoretical contributions in the Jewish philosophy in twelfth century.
The philosophy of Aristotle and the Jewish philosophers influenced by Aristotle
are discussed as a part of the research, along with the theory and application
behind giving a focus for Aristotelian philosophy in Maimoon’s famous work “
the guide of perplexed”. This study takes its shape substantially from Jewish
philosopher’s works and Maimoon’s “the guide”. This study concludes that
Maimonides had severe criticisms for giving more significance for Aristotelian
philosophy over Jewish theology even though he had successful in assimilating
the Jewish theology in Aristotelian philosophy to some extent.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
CHAPTER ONE
INTRODUCTORY CHAPTER
INTRODUCTION
Jewish philosophy divided into three periods,
Hellenistic, medieval and modern periods. Medieval Jewish philosophy transforms
early Jewish believes and practices through philosophical concepts and methods.
As a religious philosophy it behaved with public people of all Semitic
religions like the existence of the God, divine attribution, creation and prophecy.
Medieval Jewish philosophy began with the tenth century as a general cultural
revival in Islamic countries for three decades. The Jews were living in Muslim
countries, so they practiced to speak, write and read in the Arabic language
like the guide of perplexed to Maimonides.
Jews
lived in that period with the literature
of biblical and early rabbinic tradition and they had no connections with pure
scientifically and philosophically proved subjects. Medieval Jewish philosophy
began as a part of Islamic philosophy, Muslim philosophers like Averroes and
some other philosophers accepted and added their Greek and Hellenistic predecessor’s
philosophical concepts. At the end of the twelfth century, Jews declined in Islamic
world and they went to culturally developed Christian countries like France and
Italy. Because of this living method, they gradually forgot Arabic and
conversed with Latin and Hebrew languages, so they started to write
philosophical and scientific kinds of the
literature of their own.
The
first Jewish scholar accepted Greek philosophy was Philo, he was influenced
through mystical ideas of Plato but Maimonides added rational and scientific
views of Aristotle. Aristotle (384-322) was a part of considered philosophers;
he was an ardent disciple of Plato, also Plato’s teacher Socrates too.
Aristotle dismissed his teacher Plato’s methods that everything in this world
was a copy of an idea, it is filled by mysticism, also this method called “pie
in the sky” while Maimonides method called as ”pie in hand”.
Aristotle began thinking as empiricist that everything in this world has
a purpose. Therefore, there is a superpower controlling all world processes. He
defined the goal of humanity as rationality; they distinguish from animals by
thinking capacity. Moshe Ben Maimon was
born in 1138.Maimonides is a Greek translation of “Moses, son of Maimon”,
Rambam is its short form in the Hebrew language. He grew up in Cordoba of
Spain, he studied secular subjects and philosophy and the ideas of Aristotle
persuaded him to add reasons to Judaism, he used scientific and moral concepts
of Aristotle, his most important four teachings were accepted from Aristotle
are soul, seclusion and self- development, developing habits and intellect.
The
researcher discusses why Modern Jewish philosophers blame Aristotelianism in
Judaism and Maimonides interpreted Jewish philosophy in false ways but now
Maimonides was known as great Jewish philosopher and his book ’’ the guide
of the perplexed’’ is more reliable in Judaism. Also, why Maimonides added
Aristotelian philosophy and applied in Jewish philosophy.
STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM
Interests in Jewish studies on its
philosophical works have increased in the tenth century; both Jews in Arab and Christian
world have discussed and contributed more works in Jewish philosophy. From
these immense, educated scholars have been studied and discuss more about Maimonides,
but there didn’t discussed his application of Aristotelian philosophy in Jewish
philosophy and relation to Islamic philosophy through Averroes (Ibn Rushd). The
study about works are dealing with the application of Aristotelianism in
Maimonides Jewish philosophy while Judah Halevy and he like persons criticize
and blame Aristotelianism in Judaism is so relevant because medieval and Jewish
philosophers opposed and ignored the potential teachings of Aristotle.
So,
there is a strong need for a better study about Aristotelianism in Maimonides’s
Jewish philosophy and his styles and reasons for applying it as a part of
Jewish philosophy. Maimonides known as great Jewish philosopher ever world,
thus this research is an attempt to a give a clear explanation that Jewish
philosophy has an inevitable relationship with Islam because all these works
were done in Islamic period and in Arabic language, Jews have no special work
in philosophy before Averroes writings of Aristotelianism.
SCOPE OF THE STUDY
The researcher examines that how Maimonides
discusses these issues in his famous works The guide of perplexed and Mishnah.
Finally, the researcher examines the similarities in the application of these Aristotelian ideas in
Islam and Judaism.
LITERATURE REVIEW
For example, S. Atlas studied Maimonides
philosophy entitled “the philosophy of Maimonides and its systematic place in
history of philosophy”, he provides a brief explanation of Maimonides
philosophy, and he shed light on all philosophical concepts of Maimonides after
he concentrated to a discussion about Maimonides and his contributions to world
philosophy. He did not mention the teachings, which Maimonides adopted from Aristotelianism
Clearly and his attraction to do this in Islamic period.
Israel
Drazin discussed in his article “Maimonides took most of his ideas from
Aristotle” the history of Jewish philosophy, influence of Greek philosophy
and important teaching which Maimonides accepted from Aristotle, so there is no
any detailed information of his application and reason to apply
Aristotelianism
in his writings.
James
Hamilton Fleming in his Journal article entitled “The soul and body in the
philosophy of Rambam” gives a professional study of his work. He introduces
Maimonides ideas on body and soul in a detailed way. The soul is an important
component of a human being, this is basic teaching which Maimonides accepted from
Aristotle, but James only discusses the one important teaching of Maimonides. So,
there is a dire need to discuss other teachings and style of application in
Jewish philosophy.
Alexander
Broadie of University of Glasgow did further contributions to this study. His
work “The moral philosophy of Maimonides” provides that Maimonides
influenced Aristotle more in his moral philosophy like intellect, soul,
immorality ,and divinity, but this study is brief and limited.
James T Robinson discussed in his article
entitled “Maimonides, Samuel Ibn Tibbon and the construction of a Jewish
Tradition of Philosophy” that Maimanoideanism experienced a strong cultural
revolution in Jews through the writings of Maimonides and translation of his
book the guide of perplexed to Hebrew language. His Aristotelian
teachings seriously influenced the Jewish servants of thethirteenth century.
But, it
cannot find the reasons which Maimonides used to apply a Greek philosopher’s
concept in Judaism and write in the Arabic language after Averroes. Harvey
Arstroyn Wolfson illustrates Aristotelianism in Judaism critically in his
article “crescas critique of Aristotle: problem Aristotle’s physics in Jews
Arab philosophy”. This article discusses Judah Halevy’s critics and
arguments against Aristotle; there remains a big gap for the study about Aristotelianism
in Maimanodeanism by lack of detailed discussions, which describe the influence
of Aristotelian philosophy in Maimonides’s writings and his methods of applying
Aristotelianism in Jewish philosophy.
SIGNIFICIANCE OF STUDY
In modern world, Maimonides is known as great
Jewish philosopher ever world. so this study constitute that how Maimonides is
considered or called as great Jewish philosopher while he is an ardent
supporter of Aristotelians. This research also provides a deliberate
explanation of relationship in application of Islamic philosophy and Jewish
philosophy.
METHODOLOGY OF RESEARCH
The methodology of this study is qualitative; it will use
Maimonides writings and works as primary sources. It includes both modern and
medieval Jewish philosophy’s texts in general and Maimonides works in
particular, under this study the researcher follows the way of critical
analysis to explain the place of Aristotle in Greek philosophy and arrival of Aristotelianismin
Maimonides writings. The researcher should keep his study through the style of
descriptive like intellect and periodicals. Mainly it discusses the Maimonides
life and contribution during the Islamic reign of Spain. The researcher will
collect manuscripts and the latest rare studies to move forward with the study
of his approach to Islamic philosophy.
CONCLUSION
It is difficult to overemphasize the influence
of Jewish and Islamic philosophy, because the Jews should have taken a more
enthusiastic attitude towards the culture which flourished in the Islamic
world, accurate philosophy whether Islamic or Greek in which they participated
as far as they could. This is not the discussion that Islamic philosophy has a
position in Jewish medieval philosophy , but the influence of Aristotle in
their philosophy.
When we look at the works of thinkers such as Saadia,
Halevi, Gernosides and Maimonides we can see the Maimonides as different from
others with curriculum of peripatetic philosophy quit fully represented. He did
not just take some of the leading ideas and try to see how far they could use
them to make sense of Jewish philosophical concern but he fully attracted and
tried to apply practically the Jewish theology combining with peripatetic
philosophy.
The first chapter describes about the
influenced parts of peripatetic or Aristotelian philosophy in different
religions, especially Judaism by Maimonides. The discussion in the chapter
covers by giving introduction to Aristotle, through his birth, early life and
works. Then this discussion develops to his philosophy which includes the four
kinds of causes, actuality and potentiality, theology and ethics of Aristotle.
The second chapter remonstrates the five Jewish
philosophers influenced the Aristotelian
philosophy as Abraham Ben Daud, Moses Ben Maimon, Judah Ben Tibbon , Samuel Ben
Tibbon and Albo Joseph . It gives a short introduction of life and works to these thinkers , especially
with Maimonides because the discussion mainly focus on the work “The guide
of perplexed” as it’s expression
of combination of both Jewish theology
and Aristotelian philosophy.
The third chapter deals with the subjects which
Maimonides included in his work inspiring from Aristotle, it mainly discusses
the findings of Maimonides over the discussion of the existence,
incorporeality, eternity of the God ,eternity ,existence of universe and related
things to universe such time ,movements
and the knowledge of the God about
universe.
The upshot of whole argument is that no
prediction is made in a judgement; there is something of which an assertion is
made. The religious combination of theology with Philosophy is become more
theoretical and acceptable. So, the
Maimonides’ work has a great influence in Judaism but in some places, he gave a
definite position to peripatetic philosophy than Jewish theology. So, he was
criticized by Jewish thinkers yet they call him as Muslim correcting Judaism.
Even though, now the Jewish community considered him and called as the greatest
Jewish philosopher, because he awoke the Jews by submitting a independent
Jewish philosophy and save them from imitating others in their philosophy.
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Muhammed Fayiz .k
Payyanad
Malappuram (Dt)
Kerala (St)
E-mail:
kfayiz521@gmail.com
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