Courses

 » Please see the Schedule of Classes for the current semester’s offerings.

JPH 1131; 1132 Introduction to Jewish Philosophy
3 credits
Philosophical foundations of Judaism; readings from classical and contemporary writers; major religious and national issues and philosophical concepts; first semester: basic beliefs; second semester: contemporary issues.

JPH 1204 Jewish Ethics
3 credits
Jewish perspectives on philosophical and concrete ethical questions; readings may range from Rabbinic to medieval and modern.

JPH 1214 or 1214H Suffering and Evil
3 credits
The problem and definition of evil as understood in Talmudic literature and medieval and modern Jewish philosophy.

JPH 1309 Jewish Eschatology
3 credits
Analysis of textual sources—ancient, medieval, and modern—dealing with eschatology in Judaism.

JPH 1611, 1612 Medieval Jewish Philosophy
2-3 credits
Selected topics and readings from Albo, Bahya, Crescas, Yehudah HaLevi, Maimonides, Saadiah, and relevant background study (Neo-Platonism, Kalam, Aristotelianism).

JPH 1626 Philosophy of Saadiah Gaon
3 credits
Analysis of the Hebrew text of the Emunot ve-De’ot, emphasizing Saadiah’s treatment of philosophical problems; comprehensive study of Saadiah’s philosophy from the historical perspective.

JPH 1640 Philosophy of Yehudah HaLevi
3 credits
Analysis of the Hebrew text of the Kuzari, emphasizing HaLevi’s views on the Jewish religion, Jewish history, the people of Israel, and preeminence of the Land of Israel; HaLevi’s philosophy and its relevance to contemporary Jewish life and thought. For intermediate and advanced students in Jewish studies.

JPH 1650 or 1650H Philosophy of Maimonides
3 credits
Selections from the philosophical works of Maimonides: Sefer HaMada of Mishneh Torah, the Eight Chapters, the Guide for the Perplexed.

JPH 1813 Modern Jewish Thought
3 credits
Introduction to the philosophical works of the great Jewish thinkers of the past two centuries. Selected readings.

JPH 1815, 1816 Lithuanian Jewish Thought
3 credits
Selections of representative religious thought from the writings of the Tanya, the Gaon of Vilna, R. Hayyim of Volozhin, R. Israel Salanter and the MussarMovement, the Hazon Ish, Rav Kook, and R. Eliyahu Dessler.

JPH 1825, 1826 Hasidic Thought
3 credits
Selections from the writings of Baal Shem Tov, R. Yakov Yosef of Polonnoye, the Maggid of Mezrich, R. Shnuer Zalman of Liadi, and R. Nahman of Bratzlav and others.

JPH 1905 Philosophy of Prayer
3 credits
Analysis of the philosophy of prayer and of the Jewish prayer book.

JPH 1907, 1908 Philosophy of Biblical Laws
3 credits
Examination of classical and modern sources regarding the rationalization of mitzvot in the light of the Halakhah, philosophy and academic study of religion.

JPH 4931 or 4931H; 4932 or 4932H Selected Topics
3 credits
Analytical study of special topics, issues, and movements in Jewish philosophy. Frequently repeated topic include: Philosophy of Rav Soloveitchik; Philosophy of Rav Kook, Mystics on Maimonides
Prerequisite: JPH 1131 or JPH 1132, 1133, or 1134.

JPH 4933, 4934 Seminar
3 credits
Extensive reading, discussion of current issues in Jewish philosophy, and preparation of papers. For students considering graduate study in Jewish philosophy.
Prerequisite: senior status.