The Guide for the Perplexed by Moses Maimonides

Description

The Guide for the Perplexed is a book by Moses Maimonides, first published circa 1190. Originally written in Judeo-Arabic and addressed to an educated, philosophically minded Jewish readership, it sets out a systematic attempt to reconcile Aristotelian philosophy with rabbinic theology and to offer allegorical readings of difficult Biblical passages. The work, arranged in three parts, treats metaphysics, prophecy, providence, and the purposes of the commandments, arguing for a rational account of God and the universe while preserving a devout ethical life. Long controversial in its own day for its philosophical daring, the Guide later became a cornerstone of medieval Jewish thought and exerted wide influence beyond Judaism — shaping scholastic and mystical currents in Christian and Islamic intellectual history. This 1904 translation by Michael Friedländer remains in use as a readable, relatively literal rendition of Maimonides for anglophone readers seeking medieval Jewish philosophy, theology, or classical commentaries on scripture.

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