Events

In this article, I will argue against the Orthodox Jewish view that the Torah should be treated as an absolute authority. I begin with an explanation of what it means to treat something as an absolute authority. I then review examples of norms in the Torah that seem clearly immoral. Next, I explore reasons that people may have for accepting a person, text, or tradition as an absolute authority in general. I argue that none of these reasons can justify absolute authority if the authority prescribes norms that we strongly judge to be immoral. I then respond to three objections to my argument. I end with a note explaining why, contrary to a popular trend, the narrative of the binding of Isaac is not a good place to start this discussion.

The Association for the Philosophy of Judaism is pleased to announce several online symposia during 2020 on chapters from the new publication Jewish Philosophy in an Analytic Age, edited by Sam Lebens, Dani Rabinowitz, and Aaron Segal (Oxford University Press, August 2019). Description: Since the classical period, Jewish scholars have drawn on developments in philosophy...

The Association for the Philosophy of Judaism is proud to be co-sponsoring a conference on the meaning of life, at the University of Haifa. For more details, please click to see the conference Booklet

As part of the John Templeton Foundation-sponsored project, entitled “Worship: A Jewish Philosophical Investigation,” we welcome abstracts for papers on the theme, “Worship and the Divine”. We are looking to receive abstracts (1) with relevance to the summer’s theme, (2) that could feasibly be completed within the project time-frame, (3) from scholars with a demonstrated ability to carry out a philosophical research...

Essay Prize 2018-2019 This year, the Association for the Philosophy of Judaism is running a special essay prize, on the theme of the Meaning of Life. The analytic tradition of philosophy has dedicated surprisingly little attention to the ultimate question of the Meaning of Life. Despite this lack of focus, there have been a number...

For a full schedule, see: https://bit.ly/2Jv8jUb For a booklet of the abstracts for all of the talks, see: https://bit.ly/2Jy3KZq

From 18-24 March, the APJ is pleased to host a symposium on the Conclusion (chapter 7) of David Benatar’s book Better to Never have Been (OUP 2006) in which he claims that his anti-natalist views are compatible with certain religious views, including some Jewish views. With thanks to OUP, a copy of the Conclusion is...

The APJ is pleased to host an online symposium on the following paper: The “Promise of a New Past” by Sam Lebens and Tyron Goldschmidt. Philosophers’ Imprint 2017, 17 (18): 1-25 Respondents: Kenneth Hochstetter (Southern Nevada) Hud Hudson (Western Washington) Ryan Mullins (St. Andrews) Beth Seacord (Southern Nevada) A copy of the paper can be...

APJ essay prize 2017 The Association for the Philosophy of Judaism is dedicated to encouraging new work in the philosophy of Judaism. Our annual APJ Essay Prize will be awarded to new work in the philosophy of Judaism. The winner will receive $500 and will also have their paper published in Faith & Philosophy, subject...

By Michael Harris, The Torah u-Madda Journal (17/2016-17). With thanks to the editor of TUMJ, please click here for a copy of Harris’s paper. For responses by commentators and reply by Harris, please click here

The Herzl Institute is delighted to announce a conference on the topic: What Does ‘Torah From Heaven’ Mean? This conference will seek to elucidate the traditional Jewish theology of torah from heaven in response to recent challenges. We hope to address questions such as: What can the idea that the torah is from heaven teach...

Call for Abstracts 3rd Annual Theistic Ethics Workshop College of William and Mary October 5-7, 2017 Confirmed Speakers: Laura Ekstrom (College of William and Mary) Dan Moller (University of Maryland) Mark Murphy (Georgetown University) Mark Schroeder (University of Southern California) Rebecca Stangl (University of Virginia) Goal: Contemporary philosophy of religion has been richly informed by...

The symposium centers on chapters 1 & 6 of Ken’s book: Chapter 1 Footnotes to Chapter 1 Chapter 6 Footnotes to Chapter 6 (Permission kindly granted by JPS) Commentators include: Shira Weiss (Yeshiva University) Michael Fagenblat (Open University of Israel) James Diamond (Waterloo) For comments by the above, please click here For Ken’s replies, please...

Between Athens and Pumpeditha? Philosophy intends the universal, the ideal, the abstract; Talmud is rooted in the real, in the concrete situation of a people in history. And yet the academy is witnessing a burgeoning interest in the possibilities for fruitful conversation between the two – what philosophy might have to say to Talmud, what...

Special Issue on Talmudic Hermeneutics http://studiahumana.com/news,Special-Issue-on-Talmudic-Hermeneutics.html Studia Humana invites contributions to our workshop on “Philosophy and History of Talmudic Logic”. All accepted papers will be published electronically in Studia Humana as well as in a special volume of a book series “Studies in Talmudic Logic (לוגיקה תלמודית)”. Philosophy and History of Talmudic Logic Affiliated Workshop...

With thanks to Marilyn McCord Adams (Rutgers), John Pittard (Yale), Stephen R Ogden (Johns Hopkins), and Gabriel Citron (Toronto) for participating in this symposium. Gabriel’s original paper can be found here. The paper was the recipient of the APJ’s Annual Essay Prize: Dreams, Nightmares, and a Defense Against Arguments from Evil Responses from our symposiasts,...