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Science and the Kuzari

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  26 September 2008

Y. Tzvi Langermann
Y. Tzvi Langermann
Affiliation:
Department of Arabic, Bar-Ilan University, Institute of Microfilmed Hebrew Manuscripts, Jerusalem
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Abstract

Yehuda Halevi's Kuzari was written in response to the challenge posed to Judaism by a highly spiritual, nondenominational philosophy. Science, especially that embodied in the Hellenistic heritage, was a major component of philosophy; thus, if for no other reason than to make Judaism a serious competitor, Halevi had to show that the Jewish tradition as well possessed a body of scientific knowledge. The superiority of the Jewish teachings was demonstrated chiefly by appeal to the criteria of tradition, consensus, and authority, which, in Halevi's judgement, were in practice the criteria most influential in deciding scientific opinion. Despite the rather unique setting for the book, and the wide range of stances Halevi develops, the Kuzari was rather quickly and smoothly absorbed into the mainstream of Jewish religious thought.

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Science in Context , Volume 10 , Issue 3 , Autumn 1997, pp. 495 - 522
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 1997

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