What does it mean to lead a life of moral virtue and what is the path to its attainment? What distinguishes virtue ethics from other types of ethics? And how do classical virtue ethics compare with their Jewish counterpart?
In this class, we take a deep dive into the moral philosophy of Maimonides and compare it to that of Aristotle. We examine the philosophical and psychological basis for Aristotelian ethics and how Maimonides creatively adapted it to the Jewish tradition, transforming it in the process. Along the way, we will explore the theory of the ‘middle way’ (or ‘golden mean’), the ideas of moral therapy and self-examination, the goal of the purpose-filled life and the doctrine of free will, among others. We will use Maimonides’ “Eight Chapters” as the basis of our study, with additional readings from Aristotle and Maimonides along the way.