The Guide for the Perplexed

The Guide for the Perplexed is a book by Moses Maimonides, first published around 1190. Originally written in Judeo-Arabic and addressed to an educated, philosophically minded Jewish readership, it represents a systematic attempt to reconcile Aristotelian philosophy with rabbinic theology and to provide allegorical readings of difficult Biblical passages.

Arranged in three parts, the work explores metaphysics, prophecy, providence, and the purposes of the commandments, arguing for a rational account of God and the universe while preserving a rigorous ethical and religious life. Controversial in its own time for its philosophical boldness, the Guide later became a cornerstone of medieval Jewish thought and exerted influence beyond Judaism, shaping intellectual currents in Christian and Islamic philosophy. This 1904 English translation by Michael Friedländer remains widely read as a clear and relatively literal introduction to Maimonides for modern readers.