The Ugliness of Moses Mendelssohn

The Ugliness of Moses Mendelssohn
Author: Leah Hochman
Publisher: Routledge
Total Pages: 211
Release: 2014-10-10
Genre: Philosophy
ISBN: 1317669975

The Ugliness of Moses Mendelssohn examines the idea of ugliness through four angles: philosophical aesthetics, early anthropology, physiognomy and portraiture in the eighteenth-century. Highlighting a theory that describes the benefit of encountering ugly objects in art and nature, eighteenth-century German Jewish philosopher Moses Mendelssohn recasts ugliness as a positive force for moral education and social progress. According to his theory, ugly objects cause us to think more and thus exercise—and expand—our mental abilities. Known as ugly himself, he was nevertheless portrayed in portraits and in physiognomy as an image of wisdom, gentility, and tolerance. That seeming contradiction—an ugly object (Mendelssohn) made beautiful—illustrates his theory’s possibility: ugliness itself is a positive, even redeeming characteristic of great opportunity. Presenting a novel approach to eighteenth century aesthetics, this book will be of interest to students and scholars in the fields of Jewish Studies, Philosophy and History.

Moses Mendelssohn's Living Script

Moses Mendelssohn's Living Script
Author: Elias Sacks
Publisher: Indiana University Press
Total Pages: 336
Release: 2016-12-12
Genre: Philosophy
ISBN: 0253023874

Moses Mendelssohn (1729–1786) is often described as the founder of modern Jewish thought and as a leading philosopher of the late Enlightenment. One of Mendelssohn's main concerns was how to conceive of the relationship between Judaism, philosophy, and the civic life of a modern state. Elias Sacks explores Mendelssohn's landmark account of Jewish practice—Judaism's "living script," to use his famous phrase—to present a broader reading of Mendelssohn's writings and extend inquiry into conversations about modernity and religion. By studying Mendelssohn's thought in these dimensions, Sacks suggests that he shows a deep concern with history. Sacks affords a view of a foundational moment in Jewish modernity and forwards new ways of thinking about ritual practice, the development of traditions, and the role of religion in society.

Sara Levy's World

Sara Levy's World
Author: Rebecca Cypess
Publisher: Boydell & Brewer
Total Pages: 304
Release: 2018
Genre: Biography & Autobiography
ISBN: 1580469213

A rich interdisciplinary exploration of the world of Sara Levy, a Jewish salonnière and skilled performing musician in late eighteenth-century Berlin, and her impact on the Bach revival, German-Jewish life, and Enlightenment culture.

Jerusalem

Jerusalem
Author: Moses Mendelssohn
Publisher: Franklin Classics Trade Press
Total Pages: 380
Release: 2018-11-13
Genre: History
ISBN: 9780353473904

This work has been selected by scholars as being culturally important and is part of the knowledge base of civilization as we know it. This work is in the public domain in the United States of America, and possibly other nations. Within the United States, you may freely copy and distribute this work, as no entity (individual or corporate) has a copyright on the body of the work. Scholars believe, and we concur, that this work is important enough to be preserved, reproduced, and made generally available to the public. To ensure a quality reading experience, this work has been proofread and republished using a format that seamlessly blends the original graphical elements with text in an easy-to-read typeface. We appreciate your support of the preservation process, and thank you for being an important part of keeping this knowledge alive and relevant.

Moses Mendelssohn

Moses Mendelssohn
Author: Alexander Altmann
Publisher: Liverpool University Press
Total Pages: 910
Release: 1984-03-01
Genre: Biography & Autobiography
ISBN: 1909821187

Professor Altmann quotes widely from personal letters and other contemporary documents in this biographical study of one of the most celebrated figures of the German Enlightenment. A considerable amount of the primary source material is offered in English translation.

Moses Mendelssohn's Metaphysics and Aesthetics

Moses Mendelssohn's Metaphysics and Aesthetics
Author: Reinier Munk
Publisher: Springer Science & Business Media
Total Pages: 378
Release: 2011-10-20
Genre: Philosophy
ISBN: 9400724519

This book presents an extended dialogue in essay form between specialists in the work of Moses Mendelssohn, and experts in important trends in related late-seventeenth and eighteenth century thought. The first group of contributors explores themes in Mendelssohn’s metaphysics and aesthetics, presenting both their internal argumentative coherence and their historical context. The second outlines the context of Mendelssohn’s views on specific topics, and describes his contribution to the discussion of them. The essays are organized in four sections. The first pairs two essays on Mendelssohn’s theory of language and writing. The second section offers three essays addressing a number of topics in Mathematics and philosophy in Mendelssohn. A group of eight essays follows, dealing with Metaphysics in a historical context. The fourth section presents five essays discussing Mendelssohn’s Aesthetics in a historical context. Moses Mendelssohn’s Metaphysics and Aesthetics arises from a conference held in Amsterdam in 2009, which gathered numerous authorities to address the central theme. Taken together, these eighteen essays present a sophisticated portrait of Mendelssohn, packed with detail and rich in complexity.

Moses Mendelssohn: Philosophical Writings

Moses Mendelssohn: Philosophical Writings
Author: Moses Mendelssohn
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
Total Pages: 370
Release: 1997-05
Genre: Philosophy
ISBN: 9780521574778

Mendelssohn's Philosophical Writings, helped propel its author to the forefront of the Berlin Enlightenment.

The Ugliness of Moses Mendelssohn

The Ugliness of Moses Mendelssohn
Author: Leah Hochman
Publisher: Routledge
Total Pages: 256
Release: 2014-10-10
Genre: Philosophy
ISBN: 1317669967

The Ugliness of Moses Mendelssohn examines the idea of ugliness through four angles: philosophical aesthetics, early anthropology, physiognomy and portraiture in the eighteenth-century. Highlighting a theory that describes the benefit of encountering ugly objects in art and nature, eighteenth-century German Jewish philosopher Moses Mendelssohn recasts ugliness as a positive force for moral education and social progress. According to his theory, ugly objects cause us to think more and thus exercise—and expand—our mental abilities. Known as ugly himself, he was nevertheless portrayed in portraits and in physiognomy as an image of wisdom, gentility, and tolerance. That seeming contradiction—an ugly object (Mendelssohn) made beautiful—illustrates his theory’s possibility: ugliness itself is a positive, even redeeming characteristic of great opportunity. Presenting a novel approach to eighteenth century aesthetics, this book will be of interest to students and scholars in the fields of Jewish Studies, Philosophy and History.

Moses Mendelssohn

Moses Mendelssohn
Author: Moses Mendelssohn
Publisher: UPNE
Total Pages: 298
Release: 2011
Genre: Philosophy
ISBN: 1611682142

An English translation of key works, many never before translated, by Moses Mendelssohn, the founder of modern Jewish philosophy

Moses Mendelssohn and the Religious Enlightenment

Moses Mendelssohn and the Religious Enlightenment
Author: David Sorkin
Publisher: Halban Publishers
Total Pages: 233
Release: 2012-08-27
Genre: Biography & Autobiography
ISBN: 1905559518

Moses Mendelssohn (1729-1786) was the premier Jewish thinker of his day and one of the best-known figures of the German Enlightenment, earning the sobriquet 'the Socrates of Berlin'. He was thoroughly involved in the central issue of Enlightenment religious thinking: the inevitable conflict between reason and revelation in an age contending with individual rights and religious toleration. He did not aspire to a comprehensive philosophy of Judaism, since he thought human reason was limited, but he did see Judaism as compatible with toleration and rights. David Sorkin offers a close study of Mendelssohn's complete writings, treating the German, and the often-neglected Hebrew writings, as a single corpus and arguing that Mendelssohn's two spheres of endeavour were entirely consistent.