The problem of the relation of man to the Absolute in Sufism and Jewish philosophy of the Middle Ages

Abstract

The article substantiates the necessity of understanding the human being in its relation to the Absolute and Absolute in the philosophy of Sufism and in the Jewish philosophy of the Middle Ages. The author substantiates the idea that the orientation of Sufism to spiritual ecstasy, which arises from the contemplation of Absolute beauty, significantly facilitates a person’s access to the good and justice. In the Jewish philosophy of the Middle Ages, in particular, in Maimonides, reason and faith only on the surface give the impression of mutually exclusive. The author substantiates the idea that Jewish medieval philosophy is not carried out in isolation from the cultural traditions of Sufism and Western thought. Thus, in Maimonides, in the worldly, earthly existence, there is something higher than the necessary existence. The beauty of human relationships cannot be outside the realm of understanding the Absolute. After all, otherwise man would lose all inspiration, and man would be endowed with only passive intelligence and would reduce the distance between himself and absolute intelligence.