History of Jewish Philosophy

Inglis, John, 1954-

Journal of the History of Philosophy, Volume 36, Number 2, April
1998, pp. 316-318 (Review)
Published by The Johns Hopkins University Press
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316 J OURNAL OF T HE HI S T ORY OF P HI L OS OP HY 3 6 : 2 APRI L a998
Al e x a n d e r o f Aphr odi s i a s , whose c o mme n t a r y on De Anima has not s ur vi ved but whose
own i mmens el y i nf l uent i al Per i pat et i c t r eat i se on t he soul does.
Thi s book is di vi de d i nt o two par t s : I. Comme nt a r i e s a nd Co mme n t a t o r s a nd I I .
I n t e r p r e t a t i o n s o f t he De Anima. Th e fi rst pa r t pr ovi de s t he essent i al b a c k g r o u n d t o
t he second. An y o n e a p p r o a c h i n g t he Ar i s t ot el i an c omme nt a t or s f or t he fi rst t i me will
f i nd her e a mos t us ef ul gui de. Even t hose who have s ome f ami l i ar i t y wi t h t hi s ma t e r i a l
will benef i t f r om t he a ut hor ' s ext ens i ve knowl edge o f det ai l a n d j udi c i ous e xa mi na t i on
of some o f t he di f f i cul t i ssues o f dat i ng, a ut hor s hi p, phi l os ophi cal l i neage, a n d so on.
Th e s econd sect i on o f t he book concent r at es on t he De Aniraa comment ar i es . He r e
t he a ut hor , f ol l owi ng t he o r d e r o f t he t ext o f De Anima, syst emat i cal l y sur veys t he
posi t i ons o f t he c omme nt a t or s on s ome o f t he cent r al i ssues t aken up in Ar i s t ot l e' s
wor k. The s e i ncl ude t he c omme nt a t or s ' ef f or t s to r econci l e Ar i s t ot l e' s def i ni t i on o f t he
soul wi t h Pl at oni c as s umpt i ons a bout its na t ur e a nd Pl at o' s t r i par t i t e di vi si on o f t he soul
wi t h Ar i s t ot l e' s not ent i r el y cl ear di vi si ons. One of t he i nst r uct i ve f e a t ur e s o f t hi s
compar at i ve s t udy o f t he c omme nt a r i e s is to see f r e que nt l y how t he i ssues t hat sei ze t he
i magi nat i on o f mo d e r n c o mme n t a t o r s t r oubl e t he anci ent s not at al l a n d vi ce ver sa.
Most r e a d e r s will be mai nl y i nt e r e s t e d in t he c ha pt e r s on t he c omme nt a r i e s on t he
l at t er pa r t o f Book Two a n d Book Th r e e o f De Anima. Fr o m Pl ot i nus onwa r d, s ome of
t he mos t or i gi nal phi l os ophi z i ng in t he Pl at oni c t r adi t i on f ocuses on sel f - consci ousness,
me mor y, i magi nat i on, a n d t he i nt egr at i ve ope r a t i on of t he r at i onal a nd ar at i onal pow-
ers. Th e l ast two c ha pt e r s a r e f i l l ed wi t h ma t e r i a l a bout t hese i ssues as wel l as t he
pe r e nni a l cr ux t hat is t he el l i pt i cal account o f t he so- cal l ed act i ve i nt el l ect i n Book
Th r e e , Ch a p t e r Fi ve. Th e c o mme n t a t o r s t r e a t e d he r e wer e no less puzzl ed r e g a r d i n g
this ma t t e r t han ar e we. Pl ausi bl y e nough, however , t hey f o u n d in t he br i e f account of
s e pa r a t e d i nt el l ect , a nd el s ewher e, an Ar i s t ot el i an ps ychol ogy t hat is ver y f ar f r om
bei ng f ai r l y c ha r a c t e r i z e d as u n a mb i g u o u s l y o p p o s e d t o Pl at o' s.
Th e s eemi ngl y obs cur e c h a p t e r i n t he hi st or y o f phi l os ophy t ha t consi st s of at -
t empt s t o assi mi l at e Ar i s t ot l e' s account o f t he soul to Pl at o' s has s ur pr i s i ng r el evance t o
c o n t e mp o r a r y ef f or t s t o i nc or por a t e t he ker nel o f t r ut h in h y l o mo r p h i s m a nd i n dua l -
i sm i nt o a mo r e sat i sf yi ng account o f t he soul t ha n has hi t he r t o been of f er ed. Bl ume n-
t hal ' s book pr ovi de s a val uabl e a nd hi ghl y r el i abl e i nt r oduc t i on to t hi s i nt ens el y com-
pl ex mass o f mat er i al . I t is a mos t wel come a nd us ef ul s u p p l e me n t t o t he pr oj e c t u n d e r
t he di r ect i on o f Ri c ha r d Sor abj i t o t r ans l at e i nt o Engl i sh f or t he fi rst t i me t he r o u g h l y
15, 000 pages o f Ar i s t ot e l i a n c omme nt a r y.
LLOYD P. GERSON
University of Toronto
Dani el H. Fr a n k a n d Ol i ver Le a ma n, edi t or s . History of Jewish Philosophy. Rout l e dge
Hi s t or y o f Wo r l d Phi l os ophi es , Vol . 7. Lo n d o n : Rout l e dge , 1997. Pp. xi i + 934"
Cl ot h, $ t 5o. oo.
Mar t i n Ber nal ' s t hesi s in Black Athena (New Br unswi ck, N. J. : Rut ger s Uni ver s i t y
Pr ess, 1987) appl i es as wel l t o t he hi s t or y of J ewi s h phi l os ophy, whi ch has be e n
B OOK RE VI E WS 317
negl ect ed i n t he s t a n d a r d ge ne r a l hi st or i es o f phi l os ophy publ i s he d si nce t he ni ne-
t eent h cent ur y. Yet , as i nt er es t gr ew in Lat i n me di e va l t hought , at t ent i on was gi ven t o
J ewi s h phi l os ophy in o r d e r to sket ch t he Chr i s t i an i nt el l ect ual cont ext . Th a t is why
t he pr e s e nt a t i on o f J ewi s h phi l os ophy f or i t s own sake as an i mp o r t a n t c ont i nua t i on
a nd a da pt a t i on o f t he Cl assi cal phi l os ophi cal t r adi t i on in The Cambridge History of Later
Greek and Early Medieval Philosophy ( London: Ca mb r i d g e Uni ver s i t y Press, 1967), ed-
i t ed by A. H. Ar ms t r o n g , ma r k e d such a pr e c e de nt , a nd its omi ssi on in The Cambridge
History of Later Medieval Philosophy ( Cambr i dge: Ca mb r i d g e Uni ver s i t y Press, 1982),
e di t e d by No r ma n Kr e t z ma nn, An t h o n y Kenny, a nd J a n Pi nbor g, such a l acuna.
Dani el H. Fr a n k a nd Ol i ver Le a ma n he l p to s uppl y muc h o f t hi s mi ssi ng hi s t or y i n
t he vol ume u n d e r revi ew.
Th e col l ect i on o f t hi r t y- ni ne ar t i cl es wr i t t en by t hi r t y- f i ve f or t he mos t pa r t p r o mi -
ne nt y o u n g e r schol ar s, of f er s a f r es h de t a i l e d account o f t he a r g u me n t s of si gni f i cant
phi l os ophe r s who wer e J ewi s h a nd o f t he cri t i cal r ol es t hey pl a ye d in t he hi s t or y o f
" Wes t er n" phi l os ophy. Fo r t hi s r e a s on t he book is especi al l y usef ul f or t he s t udy o f
J ewi s h phi l os ophy as wel l as f or a r r i vi ng at a f ul l er pi ct ur e of t he hi st or y o f phi l os ophy.
For e xa mpl e , Davi d Wi ns t on' s di scussi on o f Phi l o a nd Al e x a n d e r Br oa di e ' s ar t i cl e on
Ma i moni de s a nd Aqui na s p r e s e n t J ewi s h phi l os ophi cal di scussi ons t hat ha d wi de-
s p r e a d i mpl i cat i ons f or bot h t he J ewi s h a nd Lat i n t r adi t i ons in t he medi eval , mo d e r n ,
a n d c o n t e mp o r a r y per i ods . Fu r t h e r mo r e , t he phi l os ophi cal act i vi t y of ma ny o f t hese
phi l os ophe r s in No r t h Af r i c a a n d t he Ne a r East b r o a d e n s t he s t a n d a r d Eur oc e nt r i c
hi s t or i ogr a phy o f phi l os ophy.
One r eas on why phi l os ophe r s who wer e J ewi s h coul d have such i nf l uence out s i de
of J ewi s h ci rcl es is t hei r a d o p t i o n o f uni ver s al concept ual schemes, t he t opi c o f muc h of
t hi s vol ume a nd one whi ch Wi ns t on calls t he uni ver s al i zat i on o f t he To r a h (41). T. M.
Rudavs ky devel ops t hi s poi nt in r e f e r e nc e t o medi eval J ewi s h Ne opl a t oni s m, Le nn E.
Go o d ma n in r e f e r e nc e t o J u d a h Hal evi , Ho wa r d Kr ei sel to Mai moni des , a nd Se y mo u r
Fe i d ma n t o Ger s oni des . The s e uses of t he Cl assi cal phi l os ophi cal t r adi t i on l ead Fr a n k
t o quest i on wh e t h e r i t makes sense t o c ont i nue t o s peak of J ewi s h phi l os ophy ( 3- 4) .
Hi s poi nt is t hat phi l os ophe r s who wer e J ewi s h of t en t r e a t e d i ssues c o mmo n t o t he
classical t r adi t i on a nd not i ssues onl y f or Jews. He ar gues t hat si nce i t became c o mmo n
t o s peak o f J ewi s h phi l os ophy onl y when f aced wi t h t he p r o b l e m o f assi mi l at i on i n t he
ni ne t e e nt h cent ur y, we s houl d not a ppl y t hi s t e r m t o al l phi l os ophy pr a c t i c e d by Jews,
as i f t he r e was a si ngl e J ewi s h essence o f phi l os ophy.
Res pect f or hi st or i cal cont ext is p e r h a p s t he si ngl e mos t i mp o r t a n t c ont r i but i on
ma d e by t he edi t or s to t he hi s t or i ogr a phy o f phi l os ophy. Si ngl e c ha pt e r s ar e de vot e d to
t he hi st or i cal cont ext o f speci fi c cent ur i es a nd c a r r y phi l os ophi cal i mpor t . For e xa m-
pl e, wi t hi n a t r e a t me n t o f t he economi c basi s o f phi l os ophy in t he t hi r t e e nt h t o f our -
t eent h cent ur i es, Mar c Saper s t ei n dr aws a c ont r a s t bet ween cel i bat e Chr i s t i an Fr i ar s ,
whose i nt el l ect ual a n d ma t e r i a l ne e ds wer e t aken car e o f wi t hi n r el i gi ous communi t i es ,
a nd J ewi s h phi l os ophe r s , who ha d to wor k i n o r d e r t o pr ovi de f or t hei r own de ve l op-
me n t ( 296- 3oo) . Thi s hel ps t o a ppr e c i a t e t he speci fi c i ssues r ai s ed a nd t he di f f i cul t i es
i nvol ved in t he s t udy o f phi l os ophy. El i sheva Car l ebach of f er s a n o t h e r e xa mpl e i n a
s t udy o f t he social a nd cul t ur al c ont e xt o f t he s event eent h cent ur y, a r gui ng t hat u n d u e
3 1 8 J OURNAL OF THE HI S T ORY OF P HI L OS OP HY 36:2 AP RI L 1998
st ress s houl d not be pl a c e d on Spi noza' s e xc ommuni c a t i on ( 602- 605) . One a mo n g
ma ny who he l d r adi cal views a nd d u r i n g a p e r i o d of unr e s t b r o u g h t on by an i nf l ux of
emi gr at i on, Spi noza was de a l t t he s ame p u n i s h me n t as t hose who f ai l ed t o pay t he i r
c ommuna l dues. Th e a pt concl usi on dr a wn is t hat f r om t he per s pect i ve of t he c o mmu -
ni t y, t hi s e xc ommuni c a t i on was of no gr e a t si gni f i cance. Such hi s t or y cor r ect s e a r l i e r
i nt e r pr e t a t i ons a nd hel ps r e a d e r s to a p p r o a c h p r i ma r y t ext s t h r o u g h t he i nt r oduc t i on
of t he p r o b l e ms a nd i ssues of t he speci fi c pe r i od.
Devot i ng al mos t six h u n d r e d pages t o anci ent a nd medi eval phi l os ophy, t he l ast
t hi r d of t he hi s t or y is gi ven over to mo d e r n a nd c o n t e mp o r a r y t hought . Se y mo u r
Fe l dma n' s cl ear account o f Spi noza sets t he t one f or Mi chael L. Mor ga n' s pr e s e nt a t i on
of Me nde l s s ohn a nd Mor de c a i Fi nl ey' s account of Ge r ma n Re f or m phi l os ophy. Bot h
r e p r e s e n t st ages i n t he a c c ommoda t i on of J u d a i s m to t he Enl i ght e nme nt . Wh a t is
i mp o r t a n t t o keep i n mi n d he r e a nd what becomes cl ear in t he t ext is t hat J ewi s h
phi l os ophe r s wer e not j u s t a p p r o p r i a t o r s o f t he Enl i ght e nme nt , but pl a ye d cent r al
r ol es i n its f or ma t i on. Ha r r y Les s er a nd Davi d El l enson p r e s e n t t he ot he r si de o f t he
st or y t h r o u g h ba l a nc e d account s o f t he e me r ge nc e of J ewi s h Or t h o d o x y as a r e s pons e
t o Re f or m phi l os ophy.
Cont i nui ng whe r e J ul i us Gu t t ma n n l ef t of f in his classic hi s t or y t r a ns l a t e d as Philoso-
phies of Judaism (New Yor k: Hol t , Ri ne ha r t a nd Wi ns t on, 1964) Ol i ver Le a ma n di s-
cusses J ewi s h exi st ent i al i sm, Ke n n e t h Ha r t Gr e e n cl ari fi es t he c ont r i but i on o f Leo
St rauss, St even T. Kat z f ocuses on t he l i mi t s o f r ef l ect i on in t he wake o f t he Shoah, a nd
J u d i t h Pl askow pr ovi de s a fi ne s ur vey o f J ewi s h Fe mi ni s t t hought . Yet one s houl d not
l ook he r e f or a f ai r account o f Po s t mo d e r n J ewi s h phi l os ophy. Th e di scussi on by
Ri c ha r d A. Cohe n is n e i t h e r car ef ul n o r i l l umi nat i ng.
Fr a n k a nd Le a ma n have de l i ve r e d a wel l - edi t ed a nd phi l os ophi cal l y savvy hi s t or y
t hat s uppl i es fi ne di scussi ons of t he vi ews o f i mp o r t a n t phi l os ophe r s who wer e J ewi s h,
ma ny o f whom wer e in di a l ogue wi t h, a nd i nf l uent i al on, t he p a n t h e o n o f gr e a t
phi l os ophe r s who i nhabi t t he s t a n d a r d hi st or i es o f phi l os ophy. Fo r ma ny year s to
come, t hi s wei ght y vol ume will be i ndi s pens abl e f or anyone i nt e r e s t e d i n t he phi l os o-
phy o f J ewi s h phi l os ophe r s a nd f or cons t r uct i ng a mor e accur at e account of t he hi st or y
of " Wes t er n" phi l os ophy. Bot h pr oj ect s will be e n h a n c e d by t he publ i cat i on o f a s epa-
r at e vol ume o f p r i ma r y t ext s in Engl i sh t r ans l at i on e di t e d by Fr a nk, Le a ma n, a nd
Char l es H. Maneki n.
J OHN I NGLI S
University of Dayton
Go r d o n Ba ke r a nd Ka t he r i ne J. Mor r i s. Descartes' Dualism. Lo n d o n : Rout l e dge , 1996.
Pp. xi v + ~35" Cl ot h, $49. 95.
" . . . t oday' s phi l os ophe r s ar e l i ke savages l i st eni ng to t he speech o f hi ghl y s ophi s t i cat ed
me n: t hey p u t t he o d d e s t i nt e r pr e t a t i ons on Descar t es' wor ds a nd dr a w t he s t r anges t
concl usi ons f r om t he m" 048) .