Dr. Jonathan Seidel (PhD UC Berkeley 1996) has taught religion, philosophy and Judaic Studies for twenty years at Stanford, Berkeley, Davis, Santa Cruz, Arizona and now at the U of O. He has published articles on Jewish magic, mysticism, ethics, history, folklore and thought and his current writing project is a history of healing and notions of healing in Judaism. Dr. Seidel is a trained Cantor and has also served several west coast congregations as a spiritual leader.
He loves hiking, beachcombing, cross country skiing, drumming, meditating, swimming, and having fun with his family.

University of Oregon. Dept of Philosophy

Philosophy 399 JEWISH PHILOSOPHY Winter 2004

TUES-THURS 2-3:50 109 PETR

Dr. Jonathan Seidel  434-6551 jseidel@darkwing.uoregon.edu
                                      or      520-3434     jonseidel@aol.com

Office hours: 1-2pm Tuesday & Thursday afternoons, 269 PLC

A survey of the great Jewish philosophers and themes of Jewish philosophy in their historical and cultural context Our goal is to learn to carefully read, contemplate and write critically about philosophical issues that emerge in these texts AND to develop our own voice as philosophers and seekers of truth and wisdom.

Texts

The Jewish Philsophy Reader ed. Daniel Frank, Oliver Leaman and Charles Manekin (Routledge 2000) The Maimonides Reader ed. Isadore Twersky (Berhman House, 1972) both paperback

Requirements

CLASS ATTENDANCE AND PARTICIPATION IN DISCUSSION [10%]

• Two short critical essays on the readings [10 %]
• One take home midterm of 7 pages [30%] One take home final of 12 pages. [50%] Final = two essays from a possible five.

Week One

The Bible and Philsophical Exegesis

Creation of the World Pp 3-23 in JPR

Genesis 22 pp. 39-40; In what way is the Bible “philosophical”? How might we discern philosophical motifs, themes or questions in the Hebrew Bible? What are the distinctions between “mythic” and philosophical thinking. Comparison with Greek thought and mythic treatment of creation. The Book of Job and Divine. Providence.Job 1-2, 42.

Week Two

Hellenistic Philosophical Influence on Jewish thought;

1. The Greek Translation of the Bible [LXX or Septuagint] and philosophy. Allegory and Hellenistic Jewish

2. Further study of Philo of Alexandria: on the Soul, Afterlife, Law and the People of Israel. Philo, On the Creation of the World

Week Three

Jewish Philosophy in the world of Islam. Jewish “Kalaam” and Jewish Neoplatonism. Dawud al-Maqam’s Twenty Chapters; Sa’adia Gaon; Isaac Israeli and Solomon ibn Gabirol JPR182-201. IST SHORT PAPER DUE

Week Four

Judah HaLevi and Abraham ibn Ezra Classical themes in Medieval Jewish philosophy: Reason, Revelation, Torah and the Destiny of the Jewish People. JPR pp. 203-219.

Week Five

Maimonides Part One – the Mishneh Torah and the Book of Knowledge 223-243 “Laws concerning the Foundations of the Torah” . Aristotelian Ethics and the Jewish Thinkers. MIDTERM DUE ON FRIDAY AFTERNOON

Week Six

Maimonides Part Two The Guide, Part One pp. 236-358; Twersky Reader pp. 361-473.

Week Seven

The Philosophy of Benedict Spinoza, Selections from the Theological-Political Treatise JPR 306-339

Spinoza’s Attack on Traditional Jewish Thought and his use of and critique of Maimonides. Heidi Ravven, “Spinoza’s Rupture with Tradition – his hints of a Jewish Modernity” (handout)

Week Eight

Jewish Philosophy in the Age of the Enlightenment: Mendelsohn on Judaism as “Divine Legislation” JPR 340-365

SECOND SHORT PAPER DUE

Week Nine

Jewish Philosophy in the Age of Reform:

The Essence of Judaism: Real? Rational? Geiger, Holdheim, Krochmal, Hess, Cohen. Jewish philosophy after Kant and Hegel. JPR 398-441

Week Ten

Modern Jewish Philosophy – before and after the Holocaust

Rav Kook, Buber, Rosensweig, Heschel, Levinas JPR 442-551

Take home final of 12 pages due first Tuesday of Exam Week