Although Yehudah HaLevi’s works reveal some Platonic philosophical influence, his overall views do not belong to any particular philosophical school. In his main philosophical work, The Book of Argument and Proof in Defense of the Despised Faith, also known as the Kuzari, HaLevi provides a severe critique of philosophical speculation. In contrast, the works of the rabbi and philosopher Maimonides show a deep commitment to Aristotelian philosophy, though they are also influenced by Platonic thought in certain areas. His main work, the Guide to the Perplexed, aims to reconcile Jewish belief with the challenges it faces from someone well-versed in the Western philosophical tradition. Consequently, HaLevi and Maimonides hold different attitudes towards medieval philosophy, and these differences can be seen throughout their works, including their views on the nature of prophecy.
In the Kuzari, which was written as an apologetic for Judaism against Christianity and Islam, HaLevi reflects his attitude towards philosophy. For HaLevi, medieval philosophers were primarily concerned with theoretical knowledge of God rather than experiential and actual knowledge of God. Moreover, HaLevi denies the possibility of philosophy in achieving certainty in the metaphysical realm, which he views as pseudo-knowledge.
While medieval philosophy generally held that prophecy was a universally accessible experience, HaLevi believed that only the people of Israel possessed the gift of prophecy among all the nations.
For HaLevi, direct religious experience is superior to deductive reasoning. He views the prophet as someone who can understand spiritual truth through an internal sense. The prophet experiences the presence of God directly.
Unlike many Jewish philosophers of the medieval period, especially Maimonides, HaLevi is not concerned with reconciling any inconsistencies between Jewish tradition and philosophical tradition. He does not reproach philosophical inquiry because he does not credit it with either scientific or religious discovery.
For HaLevi, the role of the prophet and the truth is based on the distinction of the people of Israel, which is based on the revelation at Sinai and the signal and miracles performed by the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Israel for their children in Egypt. The source of religious truth is biblical revelation, whose veracity is based on the public nature of the revelation.
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