41. Isaac Ibn Latif: Gate of Heaven
A Sourcebook in Global Philosophy - Mohammed Rustom
James T. Robinson [+]
The University of Chicago Divinity School
Description
Gate of Heaven by Ibn Latif presents a full religious philosophy, largely keyed to Maimonides’ Guide of the Perplexed but often critical of it. The text consists of four Gates. The first delves into philosophical issues from a philosophical perspective—from nature of God and creation to the soul, intellect, and immortality. The second gate presents philosophical ideas exegetically, focusing mainly on the “account of the beginning” and “account of the chariot.” The third gate comprises esoteric doctrines, especially cosmic cycles, while the fourth gate, samples from which are translated below, focuses on the reasons for the commandments. Identifying, explaining, and speculating about the reasons for the 613 commandments of rabbinic Judaism developed into a distinct branch of Jewish thought during the Middle Ages, especially after Maimonides devoted a lengthy section of his Guide of the Perplexed to them. Much of the discussion in this tradition related to the question of whether divine law can be rationalized at all, how law relates to ethics (generally in the Aristotelian sense), and to what extent Jewish practices are instrumental (serving the higher end of intellectual perfection), and to what extent they are intrinsically valuable. All of these questions are touched upon in Ibn Latif’s approach to the subject as well—in the way he frames the discussion in relation to Aristotle’s four causes, how he classifies laws in relation to utility or a final aim, and the importance of love and fear in action and divine service. Yet there are some unique contributions as well, especially in our author’s use of the Hellenistic definition of philosophy as imitation of God’s actions to understand the purpose of religious praxis in general.