Maimonides against the Mutakallimun: The question of "intellectual admissibility". Issue 3 (3rd July 2018)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Ormsby, Eric
• Is Part Of: Journal of the Middle East and Africa. Volume 9:Issue 3(2018)
• Page Start: 301
• Page End: 313
• Publication Date: 2018-07-03
• Subjects: Imagination -- intellectual admissibility -- mutakallimun -- philosophers -- possibility -- rationalism -- reason; Middle East -- Periodicals; Africa -- Periodicals; 956
• DOI: 10.1080/21520844.2018.1523563
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 2152-0844

Abstract

ABSTRACT: In his Guide of the Perplexed, Maimonides criticizes certain unnamed Muslim theologians, especially with regard to their views on possibility. Maimonides identifies these views as stemming from the theologians' espousal of the notion of "intellectual admissibility." By this, they seem to mean that whatever is conceivable is possible in actuality. Maimonides strongly rejects this notion, as it appears to undermine any rational order in the world. This article explores this notion, and attempts to define what disturbed Maimonides so powerfully about its implications. At the same time, it becomes clear that Maimonides shares certain views of the theologians, even if for quite different reasons.