It is pretty clear that the Rishonim [mediaeval authorities] were not into "identity politics" when it came to issues about what the Torah means. To them what matters is the search for truth and justice. Not to believe in things because one is born into some belief system.
You can see this in the Rambam for one example when he emphasizes the study of Physics and Metaphysics as defined by the ancient Greeks.Yet this has been for me a bit confusing because I do not assume that Physics reached its peak with Aristotle. And not Metaphysics either.
The progress of Physics is easily defined because of experiment. But what progress in Metaphysics is possible? Kant thought his anti-monies [showing the limits of reason] stood in the place of experiment. He was trying to walk a similar kind of path in Philosophy that Newton had walked in Physics. [This point is brought by Palatnik at Harvard].
It is a good thing that nowadays there is a lot more clarity in philosophy than in the 20th century. The top people have realized that getting back to Kant is important. E.g, Kelley Ross. And most serious thinkers have realized most of twentieth century philosophy was pure nonsense.
[It is has been my hope for a long time to introduce the idea of Rav Nahman of just saying the words and going on as a way to learn Physics even for people like me that are simply not that very talented in it and yet see it as an important part of the commandment to learn Torah --at least according to those Rishonim that hold this way. [It is not at all unanimous but still a significant group of Rishonim hold this way.]]
You can see this in the Rambam for one example when he emphasizes the study of Physics and Metaphysics as defined by the ancient Greeks.Yet this has been for me a bit confusing because I do not assume that Physics reached its peak with Aristotle. And not Metaphysics either.
The progress of Physics is easily defined because of experiment. But what progress in Metaphysics is possible? Kant thought his anti-monies [showing the limits of reason] stood in the place of experiment. He was trying to walk a similar kind of path in Philosophy that Newton had walked in Physics. [This point is brought by Palatnik at Harvard].
It is a good thing that nowadays there is a lot more clarity in philosophy than in the 20th century. The top people have realized that getting back to Kant is important. E.g, Kelley Ross. And most serious thinkers have realized most of twentieth century philosophy was pure nonsense.
[It is has been my hope for a long time to introduce the idea of Rav Nahman of just saying the words and going on as a way to learn Physics even for people like me that are simply not that very talented in it and yet see it as an important part of the commandment to learn Torah --at least according to those Rishonim that hold this way. [It is not at all unanimous but still a significant group of Rishonim hold this way.]]
