Chapter Six. Judaism Between Sensualism, Imagination, And Reason: The Jewish Philosophy Of Religion Of Solomon Maimon

Abstract

Solomon Maimon had the opportunity to address Kant's critique of Judaism after he had already succeeded in establishing his position as an independent philosopher. The tradition-based continuity that we find in Maimon's philosophical and religious thought finds its counterpart in the fact that the solution that he proposed to the central problem of Kantian epistemology is based on Maimonides' epistemology. Maimonides' approach in this area was based on the absolute distinction between finite human reason and the infinite reason of God. By proceeding from this assumption, Maimon was able to reassess also some elements that appeared valid to him in the doctrines of Leibnitz and Mendelssohn. This chapter focuses on this issue, which is the central axis of Maimon's philosophy. The focus is restricted to the connection of Maimon's post-Kantian philosophy to the legacy of religious Jewish thought by way of its central connecting link - Maimonidean thought. Keywords: Judaism; Kant; Kantian epistemology; Maimon's philosophy; Maimonides' epistemology; Solomon Maimon; tradition-based continuity