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Philosophy for Kids

Jewish Philosophy

33 articles

  1. Can Greek Wisdom and the Jewish Bible Go Together? Philo's Answer

    A Jewish thinker in Roman Alexandria used Plato and Stoicism to explain the Bible — and invented a new kind of philosophy.

  2. Can Logic Crack the Bible’s Code? Joseph ibn Kaspi Said Yes

    Can logic uncover hidden meanings in the Bible? Joseph ibn Kaspi thought so, and his daring ideas about faith and reason still spark debate.

  3. Can Reason Alone Show You What Pleases God? Judah Halevi’s Argument

    Can thinking hard reveal what God wants? Judah Halevi thought we need real experiences, like a whole people witnessing miracles. It shows reason's limits.

  4. Can Reason Alone Tell Us How to Live? Leo Strauss’s Quiet Question

    Can reason alone prove right and wrong? Leo Strauss realized it can't, and he uncovered ancient thinkers who hid their real views in secret writing.

  5. Can Reason and Faith Be Friends? A Thinker Says Yes

    Elijah Del Medigo was a Jewish sage and a star of Aristotle in Renaissance Italy. He argued that studying philosophy deepens faith—but not everyone agreed.

  6. Can You Boil a Religion Down to Just Three Beliefs?

    Can you boil a religion down to just three beliefs? A Jewish thinker named Joseph Albo thought so. Discover his three core ideas and why they still matter.

  7. Can You Love a God Who’s Nothing Like Anything You Know?

    Can you love a God who’s completely different from anything you know? This thinker said faith isn’t about feelings, but doing what God commanded.

  8. Can You Love a God You Can't Even Describe?

    Can you truly love a God you can't put into words? A medieval thinker said the best way to know God is to admit you know nothing, sparking debate.

  9. Can You Love Both Science and Faith? A Medieval Scholar’s Secret Plan

    Shem-Tov Falaquera spent his life showing that philosophy and Torah are not enemies. But he hid his most daring ideas in books for experts only.

  10. Did the Universe Have a Beginning? (And Other Medieval Brain‑Twisters)

    Did the universe always exist? Medieval thinkers from three religions debated this and other big questions, and their ideas still matter.

  11. Did You Choose to Read This, or Was It Already Decided?

    Are your choices really yours? A medieval thinker said even wishes are pushed by past events. Scary but fair. A 700-year-old debate on free will.

  12. Did You Choose to Read This? One Rabbi Said No.

    Hasdai Crescas believed every action is determined by causes, but he still thought reward and punishment made sense. How could that work?

  13. Do the Stars Decide Your Fate? A Wandering Poet Said It's Complicated

    Can stars control your life? A poet long ago said yes—but your soul can break free. His ideas sparked big debates.

  14. Do the Stars Decide Your Life, or Do You?

    Do stars decide your life? A medieval thinker said they almost do, but you can still choose. That old debate still matters today.

  15. Do You See a Person or a Thing? Buber’s I and Thou

    Buber argued there are two ways to meet anyone: as a full human being (Thou) or as a tool (It). His 1923 book still challenges our shallow connections.

  16. How Can You Be Free If God Already Knows Your Choice?

    Abraham ibn Daud argued that philosophy can untangle the Bible's contradictions about free will, and that reason and faith belong together.

  17. Is There a Double Truth? Isaac Albalag's Bold Idea

    Can something be true in philosophy but false in religion? Isaac Albalag's 13th-century idea of double truth still puzzles thinkers today.

  18. Love Isn’t Just a Feeling — It’s the Glue of the Universe

    A Jewish philosopher on the run wrote that love and beauty are cosmic forces, connecting a flower's color to God's own joy.

  19. Moses Mendelssohn’s Big Question: Can Reason Prove God?

    Can logic prove God exists? Moses Mendelssohn argued for an immortal soul and a divine creator. His story shows faith and reason can be friends.

  20. Our Minds Secretly Build the World (We Just Don’t Know It)

    Salomon Maimon thought our minds actively construct experience — but we never see the construction. A 1700s skeptic who still haunts philosophy.

  21. The Fear of Death Holds the Secret to Understanding Everything

    How can fear of death help us understand everything? Rosenzweig's philosophy starts from personal fears and relationships to find life's deepest truths.

  22. The Man Who Rescued the Forbidden Books of Jewish Magic

    Why did a boy dig up old Jewish books about magic that others wanted to forget? His find changed how we think about hidden ideas.

  23. The Philosopher Who Argued with His Teacher Over God and Free Will

    Can free will exist if God knows everything? In the 1300s, Isaac Polqar debated his former teacher to defend free will with reason.

  24. The Prince Who Wanted to Stop Being Human

    He tried to prove all religions secretly agreed, and his most famous speech about human dignity was really about turning yourself into an angel.

  25. What Do You Lose When You Translate a Big Idea?

    In 1204, Samuel Ibn Tibbon finished translating Maimonides' Guide into Hebrew. His real battle was over translation — and the meaning of a human life.

  26. Why Did a 10th-Century Doctor Say That God Is Beyond Words?

    Isaac Israeli blended Greek emanation with Jewish faith. His ladder of light explains how the universe came to be — and how you can perfect your soul.

  27. Why Did a Philosopher Think Gut Feelings Were Key to Truth?

    Ibn Kammūna argued that flashes of insight—not just reasoning—give us certain knowledge. But his attempt to compare religions fairly revealed hidden bias.

  28. Why Did Jewish Scholars Risk Everything for Arabic Books?

    In medieval Spain, Jewish thinkers secretly translated Arabic philosophy. A dangerous act that changed Judaism forever.

  29. Why Did Medieval Philosophers Hide Their Real Ideas?

    Some medieval thinkers wrapped their ideas in allegories and riddles. Were they afraid of persecution, or was something else going on?

  30. Why Did This Jewish Poet Think Even Angels Have Matter?

    Why did Solomon Ibn Gabirol think angels are made of matter? His idea was so shocking that Christian scholars argued over it for centuries.

  31. Why Does a Stranger’s Face Stop You in Your Tracks?

    Why does a stranger's face make you feel you must not harm them? Levinas, a Holocaust survivor, said the face calls you to be good before you can think.

  32. Why Loving Someone Means They’ll Always Be a Stranger

    Is love about becoming one? Margarete Susman says no: love needs the other to stay a stranger. This idea turns sadness into hope.

  33. Why Would God Reveal Rules You Could Discover on Your Own?

    Why would God reveal rules you can figure out yourself? Saadya Gaon said reason and faith can build a firm foundation. His answer still sparks debate.