Author Archives: N.S. Palmer

About N.S. Palmer

N.S. Palmer is an American mathematician.

Turning Around Spinoza’s Challenge

Posted on July 23, 2015 by N.S. Palmer

By N.S. Palmer Spinoza meant it as a taunt. But it might hold one of the keys to Jewish survival. Depending on where you sit, Baruch de Spinoza is either the founder of modern Jewish philosophy or Judaism’s deadliest critic. … Continue reading →

Posted in Jewish Philosophy, Judaism, Philosophy | Tagged Descartes, Jewish Philosophy, Judaism, Maimonides, Mendelssohn, Philosophy, Spinoza, Times of Israel | Leave a comment

Mendelssohn and Missionaries

Posted on July 15, 2015 by N.S. Palmer

By N.S. Palmer How should we as Jews respond to Christian missionaries? Many Jews see Christian evangelism as a threat. Even though staunch Christians are our strongest defenders, their motives are obvious. They believe that the return of Jews to … Continue reading →

Posted in Christianity, Jewish Philosophy, Judaism | Tagged Christianity, Dying God Myth, Essenes, Hercules Oetaeus, Jewish Faith, Jewish Philosophy, Marcion of Sinope, Missionaries, Moses Mendelssohn, Seneca the Younger | 3 Comments

Is the Messiah Coming?

Posted on July 13, 2015 by N.S. Palmer

By N.S. Palmer Is the Jewish Messiah coming? Yes. But it’s complicated. Belief in a Messiah is central to the Jewish tradition. Maimonides listed it as a key principle of Judaism: “I believe with perfect faith in the coming of … Continue reading →

Posted in Jewish Philosophy, Judaism, Modern Orthodoxy | Tagged Aryeh Kaplan, Jewish Faith, Jewish Philosophy, Joseph Telushkin, Judaism, Maimonides, Messiah, Messianic Age, Moses Mendelssohn, Moshiach, Spinoza | Leave a comment

Is It Reason or Revelation?

Posted on July 11, 2015 by N.S. Palmer

By N.S. Palmer Apart from goofy statements made by individual philosophers, philosophy has a pretty good reputation. It uses logic, cites evidence, and presents comprehensible arguments that you can accept or reject on their merits. On the other hand, religious revelation has … Continue reading →

Posted in Bible, Jewish Philosophy, Judaism, Philosophy | Tagged Bible, Boethius, Brettler, Consolation of Philosophy, Hazony, Jewish, Jewish Philosophy, Judaism, Parmenides, Philosophy, Pre-Socratics, Revelation, Tanach, Torah | Leave a comment

Is Jewish Philosophy Bad for the Jews?

Posted on July 10, 2015 by N.S. Palmer

By N. S. Palmer Is Jewish philosophy bad for the Jews? I think it has to do with apple pie. Whatever it has to do with, it’s not an idle question. Moses Mendelssohn, the 18th-century philosopher who led the Jewish … Continue reading →

Posted in Jewish Philosophy, Judaism, Modern Orthodoxy | Tagged Horeb, Jerusalem, Jewish assimilation, Jewish Philosophy, Judaism, Maimonides, Modern Orthodox Judaism, Moses Mendelssohn, Samson Raphael Hirsch | Leave a comment

Where You Stand Depends on Where You Start

Posted on July 9, 2015 by N.S. Palmer

By N.S. Palmer We like to think that we base our beliefs only on logic and evidence, but we don’t. Don’t worry. It’s not just you. Or me. Nobody does. If we start with different assumptions, we interpret evidence differently. Based on those different interpretations, … Continue reading →

Posted in Epistemology, Jewish Philosophy, Judaism, Modern Orthodoxy, Philosophy | Tagged Epistemology, Horeb, Jewish Philosophy, Judaism, Modern Orthodox Judaism, Philosophy, Samson Raphael Hirsch, Science and Religion | Leave a comment

You’re Doing It Backward

Posted on July 7, 2015 by N.S. Palmer

By N.S. Palmer You’re doing it backward. Well, maybe not you, but a lot of people. They’re doing it backward, according to Saadia Gaon (882 – 942 CE), the Jewish philosopher who updated Aristotle for the 10th century. Most people … Continue reading →