Neoplatonist Theology and God's Relevance

Towards Jewish Neoplatonism

Authors

  • Nick Zangwill UCL

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.24204/ejpr.2022.3764

Keywords:

God and Morality, Neo-Aristotelianism, Neoplatonism, Judaism

Abstract

I raise the issue of the role of God with respect to morality and why we should be concerned with Him. Then the difficulty that God existence is still irrelevant even if He created the world and even if the Divine Commandment Theory is right that He is responsible for Morality. A Jewish Neo-Aristotelian solution is considered but rejected, and the Jewish Neoplatonist solution endorsed and sympathetically but cautiously endorsed. Free Will is considered from the Neoplatonist point of view. Something like Jewish incarnation is suggested at the end, with an appendix on sex.

References

Philo 1981: Philo of Alexandria, The Contemplative Life, The Giants and Selections, Transl. David Winston, New York: Paulist Press.

Raphael Samson Hirsch 1962: Horeb, London, Soncino Press.

Mose Maimonides 1958: Guide for the Perplexed, London: Dover.

Moses Maimonides 1985: Eight Chapters, London: Dover.

Published

2022-10-22

How to Cite

Zangwill, Nick. 2022. “Neoplatonist Theology and God’s Relevance: Towards Jewish Neoplatonism”. European Journal for Philosophy of Religion 14 (3):129-38. https://doi.org/10.24204/ejpr.2022.3764.

Issue

Section

Research Articles