
Why Read Maimonides Today?
Steven Nadler(Author)
Cambridge University Press
Will be published approx. on 31. January 2026
Book
Paperback/Softback
200 pages
978-1-009-30473-3 (ISBN)
Description
Maimonides (Moshe/Moses ben Maimon, 1138-1204) was not only the dominant rabbinic and Jewish intellectual figure of the later medieval period, but also one of history's greatest philosophers. As the author of the Mishneh Torah (ca. 1180), a compendium and systematization of the Jewish legal code, he remains an unsurpassed (if not uncontroversial) authority on halakha (Jewish law). His philosophical masterpiece, however, is the Guide of the Perplexed (1185-1190), in which he systematically presents his views on theology, metaphysics, cosmology, natural science, epistemology, Scriptural hermeneutics, law and ethics. This accessible and highly readable book introduces the reader to Maimonides' life and thought, and uses a number of enduring and popular philosophical topics - including the problem of evil, freedom of the will, and the relationship between virtue and happiness - to show that he continues to be interesting and relevant to readers today.
Reviews / Votes
'In this volume, Steven Nadler has provided a lucid and engaging introduction to Maimonides' thought, one that emphasizes the continued relevance of Maimonides to a contemporary readership.' Tamar Rudavsky, Distinguished Professor of Philosophy, The Ohio State UniversityMore details
Series
Language
English
Place of publication
Cambridge
United Kingdom
Product notice
Paperback (trade)
Illustrations
Worked examples or Exercises
Dimensions
Height: 216 mm
Width: 140 mm
Thickness: 9 mm
Weight
191 gr
ISBN-13
978-1-009-30473-3 (9781009304733)
Copyright in bibliographic data and cover images is held by Nielsen Book Services Limited or by the publishers or by their respective licensors: all rights reserved.
Schweitzer Classification
Other editions
Additional editions

Steven Nadler
Why Read Maimonides Today?
Book
approx. 01/2026
Cambridge University Press
€58.30
Not yet published
Person
Steven Nadler is Vilas Research Professor and William H. Hay II Professor of Philosophy at the University of Wisconsin, Madison. His many publications include Spinoza: A Life (Cambridge, 1999; second edition, 2018).
Content
Introduction; 1. Who was Maimonides?; 2. How to read the bible; 3. Why bad things happen to good people; 4. Judaism within the limits of reason; 5. Why read Maimonides today?; Acknowledgements; Bibliography.