Arguing about Judaism differs from other introductions to Judaism. It is unique, not solely in its engaging dialogues between a Reform rabbi and a humanist, atheist philosopher, but also in its presentation of and challenges to the fundamental religious beliefs of the Jewish heritage and their relevance to today's Jewish community. The dialogues contain both Jewish narratives and philosophical responses, with topics ranging from the nature of God to controversies over sexual relations, animal welfare and the environment -- from (...) antisemitism to the state of Israel and Zionism. Although the rabbi and philosopher argue strongly, clearly enjoying the cut and thrust of debate, they do so with sensitivity, charm and respect, revealing the rich intricacies of the Jewish religion and contemporary Jewish life. While essential reading for those studying Judaism and Jewish history, the book aims to stimulate debate more generally amongst Jews and non-Jews, the religious and the atheist -- all those with a general interest in religion and philosophy. (shrink)

This panoramic survey provides a first point of entry into the fascinating richness and complexity of the Jewish philosophical, theological and Kabbalistic tradition. Beginning in the first century with the Hellenistic philosopher Philo, Fifty Key Jewish Thinkers traces the major intellectual events of the last two thousand years, including the growth of Medieval Jewish philosophy, the early modern mystics, the radicals, the Hasidic leaders, the Enlightenment and secular and religious Zionism. From Maimonides to Martin Buber, and from Baruch Spinoza to (...) Elie Wiesel, this volume carries the standard found in Fifty Key Contemporary Thinkers and is ideally suited for anyone interested in Jewish thought or history. (shrink)

Who are the Jews? What do they believe? Why is Israel so important to them? What's all this about self-hating Jews? These are just some of the questions that engage a Reform rabbi and a Humanist philosopher in their lively and intriguing conversations. From Antisemitism to Zionism, from animal slaughter kosher-style to the Zeitgeist of Jewish disparaging humour, rabbi Dan Cohn-Sherbok gives us the flavours, traditions and 'feel' of Jewish life and identity enmeshed in the importance (...) of the Holy Land, while philosopher Peter Cave gets him to dig deeper, revealing philosophical perplexities, unsettling questions -- and even Wittgenstein. The book is unique for it challenges unconscious assumptions such as the Jewish conviction that Judaism must survive and that Hitler must not secure a posthumous victory -- as well as widening eyes to searching questions concerning a nation's identity and what justifies territorial rights. Because Jewish humour plays a crucial role in Jewish life, this wide-ranging and thought-provoking exploration includes Jewish jokes and Dan's Jewish cartoons, all designed to add some spice to the dish of what it is like to be a Jew in these modern times. The dialogues introduce the non-Jewish to the Jewish world of argument, anguish and identity -- and will lead Jews to discover some fresh approaches and challenges to their interests and worries. For both Jews and non-Jews, this book casts lights -- with an engaging and accessible tone -- for, clearly, this rabbi and philosopher enjoy the cut and the thrust. (shrink)

Throughout history human beings have been preoccupied with personal survival after death. As a consequence, most world religions proclaim that life continues beyond the grave, and they have depicted the Hereafter in a variety of forms. These various conceptions constitute answers to the most perplexing spiritual questions: Will we remember our former lives in the Hereafter? Will we have bodies? Can bodiless souls recognise each other? Will we continue to have personal identity? Will we be punished or rewarded, or absorbed (...) into the Godhead? These issues serve as the basis of this collection of essays which provide a framework for understanding traditional conceptions of the Hereafter as well as new perspectives. (shrink)

Beginning with the earliest philosopher of the Middle Ages, Saadiah ben Joseph al-Fayyumi, this work surveys the writings of such figures as Solomon ben Joseph ...

This well-documented collection challenges the reader to examine and judge the arguments in six areas of contemporary unrest: women's liberation, black liberation, gay liberation, children's liberation, animal liberation and liberation in the Third World. It refrains from taking a single point of view, thus allowing the reader to gain an insight into the various aspects of the debate. Designed both for students and a general audience, The Liberation Debate encourages readers to become active participants in fraught and topical debates.

This well-documented collection challenges the reader to examine and judge the arguments in six areas of contemporary unrest: women's liberation, black liberation, gay liberation, children's liberation, animal liberation and liberation in the Third World. It refrains from taking a single point of view, thus allowing the reader to gain an insight into the various aspects of the debate. Designed both for students and a general audience, _The Liberation Debate_ encourages readers to become active participants in fraught and topical debates.

De la certitude sensible au savoir absolu, la conscience est à l'épreuve d'un procès phénoménologique. Ce procès se déploie à travers une expérience se concevant en tant qu'effectuation d'un principe que nous avons défini comme un principe d'effectuation. Chaque figure de la conscience est un moment de l'effectuation du principe articulant la certitude et la vérité, le sujet et l'objet, l'immédiateté et la médiation, le singulier et l'universel. Il s'agit de la dialectique de la négativité qui s'opère comme une dynamique (...) de conversion du savoir le plus "immédiat" et le plus "abstrait" en savoir effectif. Des figurations denses rythment le mouvement d'autodétermination de la conscience dans son devenir conscience universelle et rationnelle. C'est cette odyssée de la conscience que nous avons explorée en partant de l'hypothèse d'un principe d'effectuation à l'oeuvre dans le philosopher hegelien, particulièrement dans La Phénoménologie de l'esprit. De la conversion de la certitude en vérité, résulte l'effectivité du savoir conceptuel comme ultime figure du procès phénoménologique de l'esprit. Mettre en relief ce processus à travers la succession dialectique des figures de l'esprit dans sa conscience, tel est l'objectif de cet ouvrage. (shrink)

"Le propos de ce livre est une invitation ©ne jamais c©♭der ©la tentation du repli identitaire avec tous ses d©♭riv©♭s sectaires. Comme opium de toutes les soci©♭t©♭s, le repli identitaire est un p©♭ril mondial. Cette tentation est devenue la source d'inspiration et d'animation de toutes les formes de haine, d'hostilit©♭, d'exclusion et d'intol©♭rance. D'o©£ l'urgence plus que vitale de renouer avec ce qui constitue l'identit©♭ humaine dans l'expression la plus signifiante de sa dignit©♭ : penser. Il appartient ©chacun et ©chacune (...) de penser ©partir de la d©♭construction et de porter le message d'espoir et d'avenir pour une humanit©♭ vivante et solidaire. C'est singuli©·rement et collectivement que nous devons d©♭construire. Oser d©♭construire est le seul imp©♭ratif qui vaille pour le sursaut de notre humanit©♭ devant les p©♭rils de l'identitaire qu'il soit id©♭ologique, politique, ©♭conomique, social, culturel, linguistique ou religieux. Face au p©♭ril identitaire, une ©♭thique et une politique de la d©♭construction s'av©·rent incontournables. D©♭construire, c'est nourrir la conviction et l'engagement pour l'impossible, condition de l'horizon de tous les possibles."--Page 4 of cover. (shrink)

Pour penser l'effectivité, Hegel a convoqué l'expérience humaine dans sa dimension historique, religieuse, et culturelle. Le propos de cet ouvrage est d'examiner le processus par lequel s'élabore une théorie de l'agir dans la philosophie de Hegel. Les effectivités de l'esprit en mouvement permettent de concevoir la confrontation du sujet et du réel par la médiation de la culture, du droit, de l'art, et de la philosophie. Et La Phénoménologie de l'esprit nous semble constituer un jalon incontournable dans cette perspective. Le (...) mouvement dans lequel est engagé l'esprit dans son effectuation s'inscrit dans l'exigence de la réconciliation du concept et de l'histoire pour permettre à l'humaine condition de se donner des institutions effectives du sens. Il en est ainsi de la vie des peuples à travers la cité antique, les exploits de ses héros, ses poètes, ses comédiens comme producteurs de l'oeuvre universelle. Pour Hegel, l'individu est inscrit dans un contexte et dans une histoire, mais c'est par sa présence agissante et créatrice qu'il contribue à la vie de la cité et par conséquent à l'histoire universelle. C'est ce processus en tant que devenir-monde que notre réflexion se propose d'exposer à partir de la problématique du procès d'effectuation de l'esprit. (shrink)

This essay develops standards for grading religions including various forms of spiritualism. First, I examine the standards proposed by William James, John Hick, Paul Knitter, Dan Cohn-Sherbok, and Harold Netland. Most of them are useful in grading religions with or without conditions. However, those standards are not enough for refined and piercing evaluation. Thus, I introduce standards used in spiritualism. Although those standards are for grading spirits and their teachings, they are useful in refined and piercing evaluation of (...) religious phenomena. The spiritual standards complement James's, Hick's, Knitter's, and Netland's standards. Although most of the spiritual standards are rationally unjustifiable, they have practical value. (shrink)

“An elegant and erudite exposé of the hypocrisies and evasions that infect the social and political thinking of our times.” ___ John Cottingham, Emeritus Professor of Philosophy, University of Reading __________________________________________________________________________________________________ -/- What’s so good about democracy? -------------------------------------------------------------------- Is any land rightfully ‘our land’? ------------------------------------------------------------------------ How private are our private lives? --------------------------------------------------------------------- Is ‘equal opportunities’ talk all nonsense? ------------------------------------------------------------ Do free markets set the people free? ----------------------------------------------------------------- Patriotism good? Nationalism bad? ---------------------------------------------------------------------- What’s so bad about discrimination? --------------------------------------------------------------------- Are the transgendered (...) right about gender? --------------------------------------------------------------- Does anyone believe in human rights? -------------------------------------------------------------------- ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- -------- -/- “With characteristic wit, Cave takes readers on a journey of discovery through a maze of perplexities. This is a profound book — those who survive the voyage will never think about liberal democracy and their lives as they did.” Dan Cohn-Sherbok, Professor Emeritus, Univ. of Wales -/- ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- -------------- -/- CONTENTS: ____________________________________________________________________________________________________ ___ -/- Prologue: On hiding what we know >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> >>>>>>> -/- 1 What’s so good about democracy? >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> 2 How democracy lies >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> 3 Freedom and discrimination: burqas, bikinis and Anonymous >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> >>>>>> 4 Should we want what we want? >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> 5 Lives and luck: can Miss Fortuna be tamed? >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> >>>>>>> 6 The Land of Justice >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> > 7 Plucking the goose: what’s so bad about taxation? >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> >>>>>>>>>>>>>> 8 ‘This land is our land’ >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> 9 Community identity: nationalism and cosmopolitanism >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> >>>>>>>> 10 What’s so good about equal representation? >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> >>>>>>>>>>> 11 Human duties – oops – human rights >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> 12 Free speech: the Tower of Babel; the Serpent of Silence >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> >>>>>>> 13 Regrets, apologies and past abuses >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> >>>>>>>>>>> 14 ‘Because I’m a woman’: trans identities >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> >> 15 Happy Land >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> Epilogue: In denial >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> >> Notes and References >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> Acknowledgements >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>Index> ;>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> -/- . (shrink)

_ Source: _Volume 25, Issue 2, pp 196 - 208 The aim of the article is to analyze the concepts of natural law, political law, and divine law in the thought of Rabbi Josef Albo. The article concludes that according to R. Albo, the true divine law has something natural. Humans can understand by themselves that natural law is not developed enough to assure their needs. They can comprehend as well that only divine law can be a good political (...) law, and thus they draw the natural conclusion that they need divine revelation and divine law. (shrink)

The aim of this article is to analyze the opinion of a Jewish Averroist Rabbi Josef Ibn Caspi on the relation between prophetical and philosophical truth. In the beginning of the article, we will see that in some of his writings, R. Caspi claims the prophet’s knowledge to be superior to that of the philosopher. However, in the second part of the article, we will analyze his commentary on Maimonides Guide of the Perplexed. In this commentary R. Caspi also (...) mentions the opposite opinion: that the knowledge of the prophet is only his knowledge as a philosopher and that even true prophets’ can have a few false prophecies just as good philosophers may have a few wrong opinions. He thus equates the knowledge of a prophet to that of a philosopher. In the conclusion of the article we try to determine how one can distinguish between the texts that explain the true opinion of R. Caspi and the text that our author wrote only for political and pedagogical reasons. (shrink)

Race or ethnic identity, despite its imprecise categorization, is a useful means of identifying population differences in mechanisms of disease and treatment effects. Therefore, race and other arbitrary demographic and physiological variables have appropriately served as a helpful guide to clinical management and to clinical trial participation. The African-American Heart Failure Trial was carried out in African-Americans with heart failure because prior data had demonstrated a uniquely favorable effect in this subpopulation of the drug combination in BiDil. The remarkable effect (...) of the drug in reducing mortality in this study has illuminated an important new mechanism of therapy for heart failure. Application of these findings need not be confined to the population studied, but the observation highlights the need for more precise ways to identify individual responsiveness to therapy. (shrink)

This English version is rewritten with some chapters omitted and 2 new chapters added of the book in Hebrew: ha-Muzikah: shelihut u-vesorah: avne beniyah la-estetikah shel ha-muzikah by Mikhal Zemorah-Kohen and Hertsel Shemueli, published Or Yehudah: Devir, c2007.