Adrian Sackson | Tel Aviv University (original) (raw)
Papers by Adrian Sackson
European Journal of Pragmatism and American Philosophy
The intellectual affinity between Thomas Reid, on one hand, and American pragmatists such as Char... more The intellectual affinity between Thomas Reid, on one hand, and American pragmatists such as Charles Sanders Peirce, William James, and John Dewey, on the other, has been noted by several scholars. Indeed, Peirce himself professed an admiration for Reid and referred to his own Pragmatism as entailing what he called "Critical Common-sensism". In recent times, a number of scholars-chiefly Baumann, Magnus, and Lundestad-have investigated the pragmatist elements in Reid's thought. Each has identified important ways in which Reid prefigured central themes in American pragmatist thought, though none has gone so far as to label Reid himself a pragmatist. In this paper, I demonstrate the great extent of the similarities between Reid and some of the early American pragmatists. In light of these affinities, the term "pragmatist" may, in my opinion, be helpful for categorising Reid's thought. My central claim, however, is not merely a terminological one: Rather, I attempt to demonstrate the deep and broad intellectual affinity between Reid's "Common Sense" philosophy and major trends in American Pragmatism, by shedding light on a number of distinct and central shared features.
Harvard Theological Review, 2019
Moses Mendelssohn, arguably the founding figure of modern Jewish philosophy, famously quipped tha... more Moses Mendelssohn, arguably the founding figure of modern Jewish philosophy, famously quipped that it was the hours of his youth spent studying the philosophical work of another Moses—Moses Maimonides—that left him with his famously crooked posture. This study investigates one important aspect of the relationship between Mendelssohn and Maimonides: their respective attitudes toward anthropomorphic language in the Bible. Much of the first part of Maimonides’s Guide of the Perplexed is devoted to reinterpretation of scriptural language in light of Maimonides’s non-anthropomorphic, incorporeal conception of God. These chapters constitute a central plank of Maimonides’s religious agenda. Like Maimonides, Mendelssohn was both a philosopher and a religious Jew. His most extensive project intended for a Jewish audience was his German translation of the Pentateuch, accompanied by a Hebrew commentary, known as the Bi’ur. This study examines the manner in which Mendelssohn saw fit to interpret precisely the same set of biblical terms selected by Maimonides for philosophical reinterpretation. Through an investigation of Mendelssohn’s approach to anthropomorphism, divine incorporeality, and philosophical reinterpretation in the biblical commentary, I hope to shed light on an important dimension of the nature of his engagement with Maimonides.
Zutot: Perspectives on Jewish Culture, 2015
Born around 1280, the Provencal Jewish philosopher Joseph ibn Kaspi was a prolific writer whose w... more Born around 1280, the Provencal Jewish philosopher Joseph ibn Kaspi was a prolific writer whose works touched upon a wide range of subjects. I present here an English translation of the eighth chapter of his final work, The Silver is Spent (Tam ha-kesef ). In this chapter, Ibn Kaspi discusses the coming of the Messiah and the rebuilding of the temple in Jerusalem. Coloured by his Aristotelian philosophical outlook, the chapter has a number of interesting features, including its naturalistic approach to history, and the arguments presented for the rationality of belief in a future messianic era.
European Journal of Pragmatism and American Philosophy, 2014
The intellectual affinity between Thomas Reid, on one hand, and American pragmatists such as Char... more The intellectual affinity between Thomas Reid, on one hand, and American pragmatists such as Charles Sanders Peirce, William James, and John Dewey, on the other, has been noted by several scholars. Indeed, Peirce himself professed an admiration for Reid and referred to his own Pragmatism as entailing what he called “Critical Common-sensism”. In recent times, a number of scholars – chiefly Baumann, Magnus, and Lundestad – have investigated the pragmatist elements in Reid’s thought. Each has identified important ways in which Reid prefigured central themes in American pragmatist thought, though none has gone so far as to label Reid himself a pragmatist. In this paper, I demonstrate the great extent of the similarities between Reid and some of the early American pragmatists. In light of these affinities, the term “pragmatist” may, in my opinion, be helpful for categorising Reid’s thought. My central claim, however, is not merely a terminological one: Rather, I attempt to demonstrate the deep and broad intellectual affinity between Reid’s “Common Sense” philosophy and major trends in American Pragmatism, by shedding light on a number of distinct and central shared features.
Jewish Studies Quarterly, 2014
This paper presents a preliminary study of a little-known medieval Jewish philosopher, Joseph ben... more This paper presents a preliminary study of a little-known medieval Jewish philosopher, Joseph ben Moses Qilti 'the Greek'. In the first part of the paper, I present a synthesis of the fragments of information that we possess regarding Qilti's life: the period in which he likely lived, his biography, and his cultural milieu. In the second part, I offer a summary of Qilti's surviving works, none of which have been published previously. My discussion addresses the themes found in these works, as well as questions of attribution: I argue that some writings can be ascribed to Qilti with relative certainty, while others which have been attributed to him previously are likely not his work. Finally, in the Appendix, I present excerpts from two of Qilti's works, each illustrating a different dimension of his writing: First, a section of Qilti's supercommentary to passages in the biblical commentary of Abraham ibn Ezra, based on a lone manuscript. And second, a critical version of the opening chapter of Qilti's work on logic, Minḥat Yehudah, based on the three extant manuscripts.
Books by Adrian Sackson
Brill, 2017
Joseph Ibn Kaspi was among the most prolific philosophical writers in one of the most vibrant, pr... more Joseph Ibn Kaspi was among the most prolific philosophical writers in one of the most vibrant, productive, creative periods in the history of Jewish philosophy. Born around 1280 in Provence, Ibn Kaspi penned works engaging a broad range of fields, including philosophy, theology, grammar, logic, biblical exegesis, and interreligious polemics. In Joseph Ibn Kaspi: Portrait of a Hebrew Philosopher in Medieval Provence, Adrian Sackson asks the question: What was Ibn Kaspi’s overarching intellectual project? The book focuses on several key themes: Ibn Kaspi’s conception of the formative (not just discursive) function of philosophy; his multi-layered esotericism; his distinct approach to the interpretation of Maimonides; his Maimonidean-philosophical approach to the interpretation of religious texts and practices; his Platonic political thought; his approach to messianism, and his attendant conception of the nature of human history.
European Journal of Pragmatism and American Philosophy
The intellectual affinity between Thomas Reid, on one hand, and American pragmatists such as Char... more The intellectual affinity between Thomas Reid, on one hand, and American pragmatists such as Charles Sanders Peirce, William James, and John Dewey, on the other, has been noted by several scholars. Indeed, Peirce himself professed an admiration for Reid and referred to his own Pragmatism as entailing what he called "Critical Common-sensism". In recent times, a number of scholars-chiefly Baumann, Magnus, and Lundestad-have investigated the pragmatist elements in Reid's thought. Each has identified important ways in which Reid prefigured central themes in American pragmatist thought, though none has gone so far as to label Reid himself a pragmatist. In this paper, I demonstrate the great extent of the similarities between Reid and some of the early American pragmatists. In light of these affinities, the term "pragmatist" may, in my opinion, be helpful for categorising Reid's thought. My central claim, however, is not merely a terminological one: Rather, I attempt to demonstrate the deep and broad intellectual affinity between Reid's "Common Sense" philosophy and major trends in American Pragmatism, by shedding light on a number of distinct and central shared features.
Harvard Theological Review, 2019
Moses Mendelssohn, arguably the founding figure of modern Jewish philosophy, famously quipped tha... more Moses Mendelssohn, arguably the founding figure of modern Jewish philosophy, famously quipped that it was the hours of his youth spent studying the philosophical work of another Moses—Moses Maimonides—that left him with his famously crooked posture. This study investigates one important aspect of the relationship between Mendelssohn and Maimonides: their respective attitudes toward anthropomorphic language in the Bible. Much of the first part of Maimonides’s Guide of the Perplexed is devoted to reinterpretation of scriptural language in light of Maimonides’s non-anthropomorphic, incorporeal conception of God. These chapters constitute a central plank of Maimonides’s religious agenda. Like Maimonides, Mendelssohn was both a philosopher and a religious Jew. His most extensive project intended for a Jewish audience was his German translation of the Pentateuch, accompanied by a Hebrew commentary, known as the Bi’ur. This study examines the manner in which Mendelssohn saw fit to interpret precisely the same set of biblical terms selected by Maimonides for philosophical reinterpretation. Through an investigation of Mendelssohn’s approach to anthropomorphism, divine incorporeality, and philosophical reinterpretation in the biblical commentary, I hope to shed light on an important dimension of the nature of his engagement with Maimonides.
Zutot: Perspectives on Jewish Culture, 2015
Born around 1280, the Provencal Jewish philosopher Joseph ibn Kaspi was a prolific writer whose w... more Born around 1280, the Provencal Jewish philosopher Joseph ibn Kaspi was a prolific writer whose works touched upon a wide range of subjects. I present here an English translation of the eighth chapter of his final work, The Silver is Spent (Tam ha-kesef ). In this chapter, Ibn Kaspi discusses the coming of the Messiah and the rebuilding of the temple in Jerusalem. Coloured by his Aristotelian philosophical outlook, the chapter has a number of interesting features, including its naturalistic approach to history, and the arguments presented for the rationality of belief in a future messianic era.
European Journal of Pragmatism and American Philosophy, 2014
The intellectual affinity between Thomas Reid, on one hand, and American pragmatists such as Char... more The intellectual affinity between Thomas Reid, on one hand, and American pragmatists such as Charles Sanders Peirce, William James, and John Dewey, on the other, has been noted by several scholars. Indeed, Peirce himself professed an admiration for Reid and referred to his own Pragmatism as entailing what he called “Critical Common-sensism”. In recent times, a number of scholars – chiefly Baumann, Magnus, and Lundestad – have investigated the pragmatist elements in Reid’s thought. Each has identified important ways in which Reid prefigured central themes in American pragmatist thought, though none has gone so far as to label Reid himself a pragmatist. In this paper, I demonstrate the great extent of the similarities between Reid and some of the early American pragmatists. In light of these affinities, the term “pragmatist” may, in my opinion, be helpful for categorising Reid’s thought. My central claim, however, is not merely a terminological one: Rather, I attempt to demonstrate the deep and broad intellectual affinity between Reid’s “Common Sense” philosophy and major trends in American Pragmatism, by shedding light on a number of distinct and central shared features.
Jewish Studies Quarterly, 2014
This paper presents a preliminary study of a little-known medieval Jewish philosopher, Joseph ben... more This paper presents a preliminary study of a little-known medieval Jewish philosopher, Joseph ben Moses Qilti 'the Greek'. In the first part of the paper, I present a synthesis of the fragments of information that we possess regarding Qilti's life: the period in which he likely lived, his biography, and his cultural milieu. In the second part, I offer a summary of Qilti's surviving works, none of which have been published previously. My discussion addresses the themes found in these works, as well as questions of attribution: I argue that some writings can be ascribed to Qilti with relative certainty, while others which have been attributed to him previously are likely not his work. Finally, in the Appendix, I present excerpts from two of Qilti's works, each illustrating a different dimension of his writing: First, a section of Qilti's supercommentary to passages in the biblical commentary of Abraham ibn Ezra, based on a lone manuscript. And second, a critical version of the opening chapter of Qilti's work on logic, Minḥat Yehudah, based on the three extant manuscripts.
Brill, 2017
Joseph Ibn Kaspi was among the most prolific philosophical writers in one of the most vibrant, pr... more Joseph Ibn Kaspi was among the most prolific philosophical writers in one of the most vibrant, productive, creative periods in the history of Jewish philosophy. Born around 1280 in Provence, Ibn Kaspi penned works engaging a broad range of fields, including philosophy, theology, grammar, logic, biblical exegesis, and interreligious polemics. In Joseph Ibn Kaspi: Portrait of a Hebrew Philosopher in Medieval Provence, Adrian Sackson asks the question: What was Ibn Kaspi’s overarching intellectual project? The book focuses on several key themes: Ibn Kaspi’s conception of the formative (not just discursive) function of philosophy; his multi-layered esotericism; his distinct approach to the interpretation of Maimonides; his Maimonidean-philosophical approach to the interpretation of religious texts and practices; his Platonic political thought; his approach to messianism, and his attendant conception of the nature of human history.