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Course
Description
The
purpose of this course is to acquaint the student with the central
concepts of
traditional Jewish philosophy. It is
during the medieval period, for the most part in the Islamic world,
that Jewish
philosophy first developed and flourished.
It was through the work of the great Islamic philosophers
(such as
Averroes, Avicenna, and Al-Ghazali) that Jewish thinkers rediscovered
ancient
Greek philosophy, which in turn had an enormous impact on how they
conceived
their own tradition. We shall look at
how the most important Jewish philosophers of this age--Saadia Gaon, Judah Halevi, Moses Maimonides,
and others--used philosophical ideas and arguments in order to
understand and
defend the fundamental tenets of their own religion.
After having discussed the problem of the
relation between reason and revelation, we shall proceed topically,
examining
such central issues as proofs for the existence of God, the nature of
miracles,
the problems of free will and evil, and the question of Jewish ethics. Although our discussion of each topic will
focus on Jewish thinkers in the medieval period, we will also consider
modern
critiques of these canonical views, and ask whether catastrophic modern
events,
such as the Holocaust, might force us to reevaluate the answers to
central
philosophical questions of religious belief formulated in earlier times.
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Assignments
and Grading Policy
The
course requirements are as follows. All
students are expected to have read the assigned material in
advance of the class period in which it will be discussed. I will base on your grade on the three
following assignments:
1) WEEKLY
READING RESPONSE PAPER (100 points total):
Each week at the beginning of class on Thursday you will
hand in a typed
response to one of the questions listed under the topic heading for
each
week. You ought to consider the response
of one or two of the philosophers we have read that week.
You must refer to the readings. Once the
deadline for the weekly paper has passed I will no
longer accept that paper, except in the case of illness (doctor’s note
required) or documented family emergency. Each response paper
will be
graded as either “good” (10 points), “satisfactory” (8 points), or
“unsatisfactory”
(5 points). You will receive a satisfactory grade on each
assignment if
you: (a) write a minimum of 250 words; (b) present the material
systematically (i.e., state the problem and the response to it) with
reference
to the readings; and (c) show a minimal degree of comprehension.
The
first time that you turn in an unsatisfactory guide I will give you the
opportunity to rewrite it (within three days after it has been handed
back) in
order to receive a satisfactory grade. You will only be given
this
opportunity to rewrite once. Each time that you do not turn in a
study
guide you will receive 0 points. There are 10 papers due for a
possible
total of 100 points. A minimum overall
score of 53 points is required to pass this assignment.
2)
MID-TERM TAKE-HOME EXAM (150 Points):
You will be required to answer several questions in short
essay
form. The exam questions will be
distributed in class on Thursday, February 2nd and will be
due at the
beginning of class on February 7th .
This will be an open-book exam. Late
exams will be penalized. A mininum of 80
points is required to pass this assignment.
3)
FINAL IN-CLASS EXAM (150 Points): The
final exam will take place on Wednesday, March 15, in MEB 251, from 4:30-6:20pm. It will
cover material from the whole course
but will focus on material from the second half of the course (i.e.,
after the
midterm). This will be a closed-book
exam. A mininum of 80 points is required
to pass this assignment.
Final Grade: Your final grade will be computed on the basis of the
assignments you have turned in. There is a total possible point
score of
400 points. Below you will find a conversion table. The
first
column represents total points for the course. The second column
represents the grade for total of weekly papers. The
third column represents the grade for
either the midterm or the final exam.
The fourth column represents the approximate letter grade
equivalent. And the fifth column is the UW
grading-scale equivalent. (Please note that while I will
use this table as a basis for the final grades in the course I reserve
the
right to make adjustments to it in the service of fairness.)
392-400
98-100
147-150 A+
4.0
372-391
93-97
140-146
A
3.9-3.7
356-371
89-92 134-149
A-
3.6-3.5
340-355
85-88 128-133
B+
3.4-3.2
324-339
81-84 122-127
B
3.1-2.8
308-323
77-80 116-121
B-
2.7-2.5
292-307
73-76 110-115
C+
2.4-2.2
276-291
69-72 104-109
C
2.1-1.8
260-275
65-68 98-103
C-
1.7-1.5
244-259
61-64 92-97 D+
1.4-1.2
228-243
57-60 86-91 D
1.1-0.8
212-227
53-56 80-85 D-
0.7
0-211
0-52
0-79
F 0.0
Nota Bene: (1) In order to pass this course students are
required
to: a) have enough total points (i.e., at least 212 points); and
also
b) pass (i.e., receive at least 53 points in) in two of the three
components of
the course (i.e., the weekly response paper, the midterm exam, and the
final
exam). If you have enough total points
to pass but do not pass two of the three components you will fail the
course. Absolutely no exceptions will be made to this policy.
(2)
In some cases, when I calculate the final grade, I will also consider
such
factors as improvement and class participation.
(3)
This course will follow the policies established by the Jackson School as listed and explained in
the attached handout. If you have any
questions regarding these policies, please do not hesitate to contact
the
instructor.
(4) Please
note that in this course the policies of the Jackson School regarding
incompletes, grades, disability accomodations, etc. will be in
effect. Please see this link for complete information: JACKSON
SCHOOL POLICIES.
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Books
There
are four required texts for this class.
The first three books are on sale at the University
Bookstore. The xerox packet will be
available for
purchase.
1) D.
Frank, O. Leaman, and C. Manekin (eds.), The
Jewish Philosophy Reader, Routledge (abbreviated JPR).
2)
J. Halevi, The Kuzari.
3)
I. Twersky, A Maimonides Reader, Behrman, (abbreviated MR).
4)
Xerox Packet, including most importantly the selection of Saadya Gaon
from: H.
Lewy, A. Altmann, and I. Heinemann (eds.), Three Jewish Philosophers.
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Class
Schedule and Required Readings
The
reading and lecture schedule will be roughly as follows.
The week's topic is listed first with some
questions that we will discuss and to which you will respond in your
weekly
assignment. Next to the topic are the
tentative dates when this topic will be discussed in class.
1.
INTRODUCTION: What is Jewish Philosophy?
(Jan. 3)
-Jewish
Tradition and modes of interpretation.
-Jewish
Philosophy and Gentile Philosophy
2.
REASON AND REVELATION (Jan. 5)
-What
is the relation between reason and revelation?
Are the two compatible or do they conflict?
Why were Maimonides' "Thirteen
Principles" controversial?
Reading:
a)
Saadya: p. 25-47 (xerox packet)
b)
Maimonides
--Mishnah Torah (in MR): pp. 35-48, 65 (sec. 11-12), 71-76, 83-85, 95
(Mezuzah 6:13), 145-6 (Trespass
8:8), 149-50 (Substitute 4:13), 154 (Immersion 11:12), 112-3 (New Moon 17:25).
--Commentary on Mishnah: Helek (in
MR): pp. 401-423.
--Guide:
Dedication and Introduction (MR: 234-246), III: 51-2 (MR:
341-350), I:
31-35 (MR: 252-265)
c) Halevi: 35-58.
d) Leo
Strauss “The Mutual Influence of Theology and Philosophy” (JPR,
570-582).
3.
CREATION, ETERNITY, AND PROOFS OF GOD'S EXISTENCE (Jan.
10/12)
-Is
it possible to prove that God exists?
What kind of being must God be?
What are the central arguments advanced by medieval
philosophers? Are they successful? What is God's relation to time?
How is creation possible?
Reading:
a)
Saadya: pp. 49-73 (xerox packet).
b)
Maimonides: Guide, II: 13-16, 25,
27, 29, 31 (MR: 278-291).
c)
Halevi: I: secs. 10-25 (pp. 33-35, TJP),
62-79 (pp. 37-41, TJP).
d)
Creation: Divine Power and Human Freedom
(JPR, 7-38)
4.
GOD'S ATTRIBUTES (Jan. 17/19)
-What
are the principle attributes of God? Why
must God be incorporeal? What is the
status of passages in the Bible that are clearly anthropomorphic? Why is it important that the attributes form
a unity? What kind of knowledge can we
have of them? What are they?
What is negative theology?
Reading:
a)
Saadya: pp. 75-92 (xerox packet).
b)
Maimonides: Guide, I: 1-2, 17,
31-35 (252-265), 54, 59, 71 (MR:
246-277); III, 54 (MR: 352-358).
c)
Halevi: 82-88, 198-212, 220-223.
5.
PROPHECY AND REVELATION (Jan. 24/26)
-How
is God's will revealed to man? What is
the epistemological status of prophecy?
Is the prophecy of Moses unique?
What are the political implications of prophetic knowledge?
Reading:
a)
Saadya: pp. 93-114 (xerox packet).
b)
Maimonides: Guide:
II, 39-40 (MR: 291-296)
c)
Halevi: 49-52, 213-220, 259-274
d)
Spinoza, Theological-Political Treatise (JPR, 309-318)
e)
Prophecy and the Community (JPR, 461-476)
6.
MIRACLES (Jan. 31/Feb. 2)
-Are
miracles consistent with natural law or are they exceptions to it? Are we justified in believing miracles?
Reading:
a)
Saadya: pp. 105-108 (xerox packet).
b)
Maimonides: Guide:
III, 32, 34 (MR: 327-335);
also Eight Chapters, p. 383
(MR).
c)
Halevi: 58-75.
e)
Spinoza, Theological-Political Treatise (JPR, 327-331)
7.
GOD'S OMNISCIENCE AND HUMAN FREEDOM
(Feb. 7/9)
-Is
God's omniscience (which implies foreknowledge of all events)
compatible with
human freedom?
Reading:
a)
Saadya: pp. 115-125 (xerox packet).
b)
Maimonides: Guide, III: 16, 19-21
(xerox packet).
c)
Halevi: 273-290,
d)
Free Will and Divine Foreknowledge (JPR, 120-125).
8.
GOD'S PROVIDENCE AND THE PROBLEM OF EVIL
(Feb. 14/16/21)
-If
God ordains all things, and God is benevolent, then how is evil
possible? How does this affect the notion
of reward and
punishment, in this world or in the next?
Reading:
a)
"The Book of Job," in the Bible.
b)
Saadya: pp. 127-39, 148-54, 181-91
(TJP).
c)
Maimonides: Guide, III: 8, 12, 24 (MR: 299-310);
22-3 (xerox packet)
d)
Halevi: 273-290.
e)
Job and Divine Providence (JPR, 60-86).
f)
Evil and Suffering (JPR, 489-509).
g)
Holocaust (JPR, 538-551)
9.
THE RATIONALITY OF THE COMMANDMENTS
(Feb. 23/28)
-To
what extent can we rationally justify the commandments of the Torah? Why is this useful or important?
What is the role of philosophy in this
enterprise?
Reading:
a)
Saadya: pp. 93-105 (xerox packet).
b)
Maimonides: Guide, III: 26-36 (MR:
310-340).
c)
Halevi: 135-198.
d)
The Aqedah (JPR, 39-45)
10.
ETHICS AND POLITICS (Feb 28/ March 2)
-Is
there a Jewish ethics that is distinct from Jewish law (halahka)? In what way are reward and punishment
significant?
-What
are the political implications of Jewish messianism?
-What
is the role of Israel and modern Zionism?
Reading:
a)
Saadya: pp. 167-79 (xerox packet).
b)
Maimonides: Guide, III, 31
(MR: 326-7); The Eight Chapters,
pp. 361-386 (MR); Mishnah Torah, pp. 135-139 (Seeds),
pp. 215-227
(Judges).
c)
Halevi: 135-198.
d)
Justice (JPR, 90-104).
e)
The State of Israel/Zionism (JPR, 552-569).
11. PRAYER
(March 7)
-What
is the purpose of prayer for each thinker? What conception(s) of God is
(are)
implicit in the practice of prayer? Why
might this lead to mysticism? What is
the importance of repentance in Judaism?
Reading:
a)
Maimonides: Guide, III, 51-54
(MR: 341-358); Mishnah Torah: Adoration, pp. 87-100 (MR).
b)
Halevi: 120-134, 290-298.
c)
Prayer and Faith (JPR, 105-119).
d)
Belief (JPR, 583-605).
12. WHY DOES PHILOSOPHY MATTER TO RELIGION? (March 9)
-We
will discuss various themes that we have treated in the course and
return to
the initial question about revelation, tradition, and reason.
3/15 FINAL EXAM (4:30-6:20pm; MEB 251)
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