Type of Document	Thesis
Author	LaGrone, Matthew
URN	etd-09182003-143438
Title	Maimonides’ Sons: Episodes In Modern Jewish Thought
Degree	Master of Arts
Department	Religion, Department of
Advisory Committee	Advisor Name Title Martin Kavka Committee Chair John Kelsay Committee Member Sumner Twiss Committee Member
Keywords	Lifnim Mi-Shurat Ha-Din Rationalism Pluralism Philosophy Of Halakha
Date of Defense	2003-08-02
Availability	unrestricted
Abstract My thesis centers on three modern Jewish thinkers—Yeshayahu Leibowitz, David Hartman and Joseph Soloveitchik—and their philosophical relationship with and use of Maimonides. Maimonides is the central thinker in and the touchstone of Jewish philosophy, matched only by Aquinas in Catholic theology. The first essay concerns the nature of halakha in the concluding chapters of The Guide of the Perplexed and Leibowitz’s formalist understanding of the Law through those chapters. I defend this reading of Maimonides by employing David Shatz’s provocative argument that 3.51 and not 3.54 constitutes the true end of the Guide. By arguing thusly a Leibowitzean reading of the conclusion is plausible and faithful to Maimonides’ purpose in the Guide. The middle essay covers Hartman’s philosophy of halakha in association with Maimonides’ philosophy of halakha. Three controlling aspects of Hartman’s philosophy are examined: pluralism, rationalism and lifnim mi-shurat ha-din. I attempt to assess Hartman’s use of Maimonides in determining these aspects, and find his interpretations of the Rambam to be generally in error. The final essay looks at neglected second part of Soloveitchik’s Halakhic Man and his seamless utilization of Maimonides to shape the concepts of creation, repentance divine providence, time and prophecy. I argue that Soloveitchik’s use of Maimonides is closest to the Rambam’s intentions, but that it also takes the fewest risks. Instead, Soloveitchik employs Maimonides as a prop and support to defend his radically new and radically strange vision of individual observant existence in modern times.
Files	Filename       Size       Approximate Download Time (Hours:Minutes:Seconds)     28.8 Modem   56K Modem   ISDN (64 Kb)   ISDN (128 Kb)   Higher-speed Access    01_aed_titlepage.pdf 32.17 Kb 00:00:08 00:00:04 00:00:04 00:00:02 < 00:00:01   02_aed_committee.pdf 29.77 Kb 00:00:08 00:00:04 00:00:03 00:00:01 < 00:00:01   03_aed_tableofcontents.pdf 44.25 Kb 00:00:12 00:00:06 00:00:05 00:00:02 < 00:00:01   04_aed_abstract.pdf 49.64 Kb 00:00:13 00:00:07 00:00:06 00:00:03 < 00:00:01   05_aed_introduction.pdf 75.16 Kb 00:00:20 00:00:10 00:00:09 00:00:04 < 00:00:01   06_aed_chapter1.pdf 145.54 Kb 00:00:40 00:00:20 00:00:18 00:00:09 < 00:00:01   07_aed_chapter2.pdf 174.71 Kb 00:00:48 00:00:24 00:00:21 00:00:10 < 00:00:01   08_aed_chapter3.pdf 134.17 Kb 00:00:37 00:00:19 00:00:16 00:00:08 < 00:00:01   09_aed_conclusion.pdf 64.30 Kb 00:00:17 00:00:09 00:00:08 00:00:04 < 00:00:01   10_aed_bibliography.pdf 82.96 Kb 00:00:23 00:00:11 00:00:10 00:00:05 < 00:00:01   11_aed_biosketch.pdf 33.41 Kb 00:00:09 00:00:04 00:00:04 00:00:02 < 00:00:01