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Chapter 6 - Maimonides’ appropriation of Aristotle's ethics

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  05 February 2013

By
Kenneth Seeskin
Edited by
Jon Miller
Jon Miller
Affiliation:
Queen's University, Ontario
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Summary

"Eight Chapters" is an introduction to Maimonides' commentary on the Mishnaic treatise Pirke Avot. His response is to begin "Eight Chapters" by citing a rabbinic dictum according to which a person who wants to become pious should follow the advice set forth in Pirke Avot. Maimonides introduces the concept of the pious person (Hasid), saying that this person deviates from the mean. One of the distinguishing features of generally recognized opinions is that a couple of exceptions still leave a rule intact. Maimonides did not consider practical wisdom to be worthy of the name wisdom. As far as Maimonides is concerned, only truth fulfills the soul's quest for perfection. For Maimonides intellectualism and asceticism go hand in hand. Though Maimonides enlists Aristotle's support in denigrating the sense of touch, one would be hard pressed to find asceticism in Aristotle's writings.
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The Reception of Aristotle's Ethics , pp. 107 - 124
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
Print publication year: 2012

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