Joseph Albo on Free Choice

Abstract

Philosophical originality can be uncovered in the unique individual interpretations of biblical narrative found in Joseph Albo’s Sefer ha-‘Iqqarim (Book of Principles), one of the most popular Hebrew works within the corpus of medieval Jewish philosophy. Several of Albo’s exegetical analyses focus on free choice, which emerges as a conceptual scheme throughout his work, though he does not consistently expand upon his views of choice in the same way in each reference. These isolated expositions have heretofore been overlooked, as the scholarly consensus regards Albo as an unoriginal philosopher and neglects to appreciate the philosophical ingenuity embedded within his individual homilies. An exploration of Albo’s innovative interpretations of the binding of Isaac, the hardening of Pharaoh’s heart, the Book of Job, and God’s choice of Israel reveals his view of free choice, which was significant during a historical period of religious coercion. Albo’s sole surviving responsum, dealing with the case of the qatlanit (a woman who is twice widowed and thereby forbidden to remarry, according to the Talmud) further demonstrates his philosophical position. Free choice was an important topic, subject to vehement debate in the medieval era in which Albo lived, and continues to be relevant as contested in modern philosophy.