Judaism and Temporary Community: Moses Mendelssohn on imperfection and truth
Moses Mendelssohn’s work on imperfection might cause us to rethink the concepts of truth which follow from the Kantian tradition; he offers an alternative, if repressed, way of thinking about truth—one oriented by imperfection, rather than the structure of appearance. Understanding Mendelssohn as a...
Main Author: | |
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Format: | Electronic Article |
Language: | English |
Check availability: | HBZ Gateway |
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Fernleihe: | Fernleihe für die Fachinformationsdienste |
Published: |
Oxford University Press
[2021]
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In: |
Literature and theology
Year: 2021, Volume: 35, Issue: 1, Pages: 22-39 |
RelBib Classification: | BH Judaism VA Philosophy |
Online Access: |
Volltext (lizenzpflichtig) Volltext (lizenzpflichtig) |
Summary: | Moses Mendelssohn’s work on imperfection might cause us to rethink the concepts of truth which follow from the Kantian tradition; he offers an alternative, if repressed, way of thinking about truth—one oriented by imperfection, rather than the structure of appearance. Understanding Mendelssohn as a philosopher of imperfection should affect how we read the word ‘truth’ in Modern Jewish philosophy: if imperfection is a fundamental ingredient of human life, then it is not something we must do away with, or annihilate, in order to find truth; it is not an obstacle. Rather—if we, like Mendelssohn, assume that we are incomplete and compromised—any relationship to truth must not seek to overcome imperfection and compromise, but proceed through them. |
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ISSN: | 1477-4623 |
Contains: | Enthalten in: Literature and theology
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Persistent identifiers: | DOI: 10.1093/litthe/fraa028 |