The Creation of the World and the Limits of Language

This book explores a central issue for the study of medieval Jewish philosophy: the debate about whether the world was created or eternal. It shows that a common feature is found among all the main authors of the corpus. Whether they are fierce advocates of the idea of an “absolute creation,” such as Saadia Gaon, or heterodox authors denying absolute creation, such as Abraham Ibn Ezra; whether like Gersonides they argue for a creation from preeternal matter, or, like Albalag or Crescas, for an “eternal creation,” all share with Maimonides the use of esoteric writing strategies when dealing with the question. Each chapter of the book proposes an analysis both of the doctrine held and of the way in which each author write about creation. As a whole, the book proposes an alternative approach to Leo Strauss’s notion of “arts of writing.” Strauss argued that pre-modern philosophers used esoteric writing strategies in order to conceal their genuine thought, which might prompt violent reactions from the uneducated masses. In contrast, I propose to read these “arts of writing” as reflecting the intrinsic characteristics of the issue under discussion, in which the very limits of human language are at stake.