Jewish Philosophy: An Historical Introduction [Paperback]

Norbert M. Samuelson (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: November 2003

Presupposing no prior background in Judaism or philosophy, this text surveys the history of Jewish Philosophy, from the formation of the Hebrew Scriptures to the modern age. It is intended to be used with courses in Jewish philosophy, as well as with more general courses in religious thought, Judaism and philosophy.;The author discusses the nature of God, the origin and end of the universe, and the more moral value of humanity, all from the distinctive perspective of Jewish intellectual history. The Hebrew Scriptures, the Midrash, and medieval works of Jewish theology are all alluded to. Among the Jewish philosophers discussed are Judah Ha-Nasi, Saadia Gaon, Ha-Levi, Abraham ibn Daud, Moses Maimonides, Levi Gersonides, Hasdai Crescas, Baruch Spinoza, Hermann Cohen, Martin Buber and Franz Rosenzweig.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"Samuelson's book takes the student on a fascinating tour through the world of Judaism in general and Jewish Philosophy in particular....he succeeds in leading the reader through the ever-changing landscape of Jewish responses to western culture, to its own heritage, and to the philosophies and theologies of the surrounding religions." Dr. Yehoyada Amir, Department of Jewish Thought, Hebrew University, Jerusalem; "One of America's leading Jewish philosophers has written an admirable guide to the history of Jewish philosophical reflection from its Hebraic roots to Franz Rosenzweig. Highly recommended." Professor John Clayton, Chairman, Department of Religion, Boston University"

About the Author

Norbert M. Samuelson is the Harold and Jean Grossman Professor in Religious Studies at Arizona State University in Tempe, Arizona. He is the author of six books and over 200 articles, and the co-editor of three collected volumes of essays.

Product Details

• Paperback: 344 pages
• Publisher: Continuum International Publishing Group (November 2003)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0826461417
• ISBN-13: 978-0826461414
• Product Dimensions: 9.2 x 6.2 x 1.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 3.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,620,554 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

9 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars Wrong too many times, July 11, 2004

By A Customer

This review is from: Jewish Philosophy: An Historical Introduction (Hardcover)

If you do not want to fill your head with misinformation and and very odd interpretations of classic texts, do not read this book. For example: Samuelson manages to devote the first 77 pages of his book to Biblical Judaism, yet he never finds time to mention that the Hebrew Scriptures have anything to say about ethical concerns such as justice and charity. His treatment of Rabbinical Judaism is similarly botched, including obvious misunderstandings of the best-known Rabbinic texts. (Show a rabbinical student the discussion on page 103 of the very first section of the Talmud, and check out the reaction you get!) Although the book is suppossed to be written for beginnners, when Samuelson finally gets to Medieval Jewish philosophy, he starts throwing around enough unexplained Aristotelian concepts to make your head swim. Many of Samuelson's interpretations are frankly bizarre. If you already know the material, you might find them oddly interesting in the way that it would be interesting to see someone claim that the Matrix is really about the 1954 World Series. Otherwise, you will come away from this book all set to say things that will make you sound like a crack-pot.

The same material is covered with much greater accuracy and authority in Julius Guttmann's classic *Philosophies of Judaism*. For the medieval period, I would suggest Colette Sirat's *A History of Jewish Philosopy in the Middle Ages.* If you are looking for a short, genuinely popular yet well-founded account of Maimonides' philosophy, which also tries to demonstrate its relevance for contemporary religion, see Kenneth Seeskin's *Maimonides: A Guide for Today's Perplexed*.

2 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Jewish Philosophy An Historical Perspective, August 15, 2005

By 

CSA (Phoenix, AZ, USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Jewish Philosophy: An Historical Introduction (Paperback)

This is an excellent book to examine Jewish philosophy through the ages. It looks at different philosophers' views, who were the main influences, and how Jewish philosophy developed through different periods, centuries...It even questions where Jewish philosophy may go into the future with science issues and such taken into account.

2 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Jewish Philosophy by Norbert Samuelson, August 10, 2005

By 

Howard Weinstein "Judaic Maven" (Mesa,AZ) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Jewish Philosophy: An Historical Introduction (Paperback)

This book is intended as an introductory text for college students learning about Judaism. It is cogent, concise and easy to read even with minimal knowledge of Judaism. I recommend this book highly without reservation.