Charles H. Manekin - Böcker

Levi ben Gershom (Gersonides, 1288-1344), medieval Jewry's boldest philosopher and scientist, emerges from this study as an impressive figure in the history of logic. Profoundly disturbed by the many "mistakes" he found in Averroes' paraphrase of the "Prior Analytics", the yound Gersonides wrote "The Book of the Correct Syllogism" to place syllogistic on a sure footing. Neither commentary nor compendium, the work differs from Aristotle's theory in approach and in scope. Of special interest is Gersonides' treatment of the modal syllogism and his spirited defence of the fourth syllogistic figure. "The Logic of Gersonides" includes an introductory essay analyzing Gersonides' logical writings, a translation based on the author's critical edition of the "Correct Syllogism", and an extensive analytical commentary and glossary.

Moses Maimonides (1138-1204) was arguably the single most important Jewish thinker of the Middle Ages, with an impact on the later Jewish tradition that was unparalleled by any of his contemporaries. In this volume of new essays, world-leading scholars address themes relevant to his philosophical outlook, including his relationship with his Islamicate surroundings and the impact of his work on subsequent Jewish and Christian writings, as well as his reception in twentieth-century scholarship. The essays also address the nature and aim of Maimonides' philosophical writing, including its connection with biblical exegesis, and the philosophical and theological arguments that are central to his work, such as revelation, ritual, divine providence, and teleology. Wide-ranging and fully up-to-date, the volume will be highly valuable for those interested in Jewish history and thought, medieval philosophy, and religious studies.

Moses Maimonides (1138-1204) was arguably the single most important Jewish thinker of the Middle Ages, with an impact on the later Jewish tradition that was unparalleled by any of his contemporaries. In this volume of new essays, world-leading scholars address themes relevant to his philosophical outlook, including his relationship with his Islamicate surroundings and the impact of his work on subsequent Jewish and Christian writings, as well as his reception in twentieth-century scholarship. The essays also address the nature and aim of Maimonides' philosophical writing, including its connection with biblical exegesis, and the philosophical and theological arguments that are central to his work, such as revelation, ritual, divine providence, and teleology. Wide-ranging and fully up-to-date, the volume will be highly valuable for those interested in Jewish history and thought, medieval philosophy, and religious studies.

This book surveys Hebrew manuscripts of Aristotelian philosophy and logic. This publication is the second in a series of volumes that translates, updates, and, where necessary, revises parts of Steinschneider’s bio-bibliographical classic work on Hebrew manuscripts of philosophical encyclopedias, manuals, and logical writings.

This book surveys Hebrew manuscripts of Aristotelian philosophy and logic. It presents a translation and revision of part of Moritz Steinschneider’s monumental Die Hebraeischen Übersetzungen des Mittelalters und die Juden als Dolmetscher (The Hebrew Translations of the Middle Ages and the Jews as Interpreters). This resource was first published in 1893. It remains to this day the authoritative account of the transmission and development of Arabic and Latin, and, by way of those languages, Greek culture to medieval and renaissance Jews.The editors have updated Steinschneider’s bibliography. They have also judiciously revised some of his scholarly judgments. In addition, the volume provides an exhaustive listing of pertinent Hebrew manuscripts and their whereabouts. The section on logic, including texts hitherto unknown, represents the latest research in the history of medieval logic in Hebrew. This publication is the second in a series of volumes that translates, updates, and, where necessary, revises parts of Steinschneider’s bio-bibliographical classic work on Hebrew manuscripts of philosophical encyclopedias, manuals, and logical writings. Historians of medieval culture and philosophy, and also scholars of the transmission of classical culture to Muslims, Christians, and Jews, will find this volume indispensable.

Moritz Steinschneider. The Hebrew Translations of the Middle Ages and the Jews as Transmitters

In the great libraries of Europe and the United States, hidden in fading manuscripts on forgotten shelves, lie the works of medieval Hebrew logic. From the end of the twelfth century through the Renaissance, Jews wrote and translated commentaries and original compositions in Aristotelian logic. One can say without exaggeration that wherever Jews studied philosophy - Spain, France, Northern Africa, Germany, Palestine - they began their studies with logic. Yet with few exceptions, the manuscripts that were catalogued in the last century have failed to arouse the interest of modem scholars. While the history of logic is now an established sub-discipline of the history of philosophy, the history of Hebrew logic is only in its infancy. The present work contains a translation and commentary of what is arguably the greatest work of Hebrew logic, the Sefer ha-Heqqesh ha-Yashar (The Book of the Correct Syllogism) of Levi ben Gershom (Gersonides; 1288-1344). Gersonides is well known today as a philosopher, astronomer, mathematician, and biblical exegete. But in the Middle Ages he was also famous for his prowess as a logician. The Correct Syllogism is his attempt to construct a theory of the syllogism that is free of what he considers to be the 'mistakes' of Aristotle, as interpreted by the Moslem commentator A verroes. It is an absorbing, challenging work, first written by Gersonides when he was merely thirty-one years old, then significantly revised by him. The translation presented here is of the revised version.