Studies and Texts in Medieval Jewish Philosophy and Science in Honor of Resianne Fontaine : Officina Philosophica Hebraica Volume 5 (Studies in Jewish History and Culture)

This vibrant collection of studies in medieval Jewish philosophy and science, published in honor of the distinguished scholar of medieval Jewish thought, Resianne Fontaine, brings together twenty original articles by leading scholars in the field. The contributions explore a wide range of questions, such as how the genres of commentary and encyclopedic writing proved crucial to the preservation and transformation of Aristotelian philosophy as it moved across cultures and languages; how medieval authors, translators, and scribes, driven by good intentions, sought to clarify difficult materials yet sometimes rendered them incomprehensible; how Hebrew translators’ failure to distinguish between Arabic terms for “truth” and “certainty” resulted in key aspects of Islamic Aristotelianism not making their way into Hebrew thought; and whether Maimonides had a sense of humor. Several of the studies feature first editions and translations of engaging texts. Together, these studies constitute a significant contribution to the study of medieval Jewish philosophy and science, intellectual history, and cross-cultural transmission.