Today in my Rambam class, we were discussing Rambam's view on prophesy. In the Moreh, Rambam discusses three ideas about prophecy. The first idea, held by the pagans, is that G-d chooses whomever He wants to be a prophet. The second idea, held by various philosophers, is that prophecy is attained through the natural progression of becoming a philosopher and perfecting rationality and imagination. The third idea, which is Rambam's view, agrees with this second idea, but he modifies it. Rambam says that while someone who is a great philosopher may be eligible for nevu'ah, G-d sometimes performs a miracle and does not allow him to receive any.
I just cannot understand why the Rambam would make such a statement. To believe this way, that anyone can become a prophet by being philosophical enough, negates any influence G-d has on the whole thing, aside from the fact that G-d can prevent someone from receiving prophecy. But what about someone who is not a philosopher? And we discussed how the fact that it is something natural means that G-d does not directly speak to anyone, not even prophets. So what about all the conversations in the Torah between Avraham and G-d, Moshe and G-d, basically anyone else and G-d. Are they all just having inner conflicts out loud with themselves? And how about the fact that Nevi'im know certain things that will happen? Take Yonah, for example. Am I meant to believe that Yonah made up the whole thing with Ninveh and decided, on his own, that they needed to do Teshuva? But then ran away from himself? It just doesn't make sense.
A lot of what Rambam says I find rather perplexing. The Guide for the Perplexed has only made me more perplexed, not less. A lot of what he says is contradictory, or we just don't know what he actually means and what he's just saying 'for the masses.' And does he truly not believe anything he says 'for the masses?' Why would he say things he does not believe? Even if normal people cannot understand certain concepts, it does not help the situation to then lead them in a wrong direction, just because they can understand it better!
It's weird. The more I learn Rambam, the less I'm growing to like him.
On a totally separate topic, I was talking to CuriousJew today about fantasy books so I would just like to list some of my favorites here. I made this list mainly because I was bored in class, but if anyone is interested in reading young adult fantasy and/or science fiction, these books are definitely must-reads. At least, in my opinion. There are for sure books I left out, too, but these are the first that came to my mind. Harry Potter isn't on here because I'm assuming anyone who wants to read the books has done so already. If anyone wants to recommend books of their own, feel free!
Good Young Adult Fantasy/Sci-Fi Books I've Read:
Diana Wynne Jones:
1. Witch Week - it's about a world similar to ours and yet different, during modern times where witches are alive and well and in hiding from the inquisitors.
2. The Lives of Christopher Chant - a boy with more lives than he knows what to do with, but he'll need that many to save the world as he knows it
3. Conrad's Fate
4. The Pinhoe Egg
5. Fire and Hemlock - a modern day retelling of Tam Lin and Thomas the Rhymer (True Thomas), as well as the story of Polly Wittaker's growing up
6. Dark Lord of Derkholm
7. Howl's Moving Castle
8. The Tough Guide to Fantasyland - a creative, witty encyclopedia about all the cliches of the fantasy genre, and more.
Orson Scott Card:
1. Ender's Game
2. Ender's Shadow
Greg Bear:
1. Songs of Earth and Power
Patricia C. Wrede:
1. Dealing with Dragons
2. Searching for Dragons
3. Counting on Dragons
4. Talking to Dragons
5. The Enchanted Chocolate Pot or Sorcery and Cecelia
Philip Pullman:
1. The Golden Compass
2. The Subtle Knife
3. The Amber Spyglass
T.H. White:
1. The Sword in the Stone*
2. The Once and Future King
*The Sword in the Stone is, in fact, a story in The Once and Future King, but I listed it separately because the version in TOFK is not exactly the same as The Sword in the Stone on its own. I happen to prefer The Sword in the Stone on its own version of the story, seeing as it has the awesomely fun battle between Merlin and Madam Mim and the TOFK version, sadly and for reasons I don't quite understand, leaves it out and has instead a longer adventure with Robin Wood, who is clearly not as cool as the battle Merlin has with Madam Mim.
Madeleine L'Engle:
1. A Wrinkle in Time
2. A Wind in the Door
3. Many Waters
4. A Swiftly Tilting Planet
Bruce Coville:
1. My Teacher is an Alien series (somewhat juvenile, but I have great, great memories of these books)
Ella Enchanted (I'm too lazy to look up the author, but it's a really good book)
Authors/Books Recommended to Me That I Have Yet to Read:
1. Neil Gaiman (specifically Neverwhere, since I own it)
2. Terry Pratchett (I own Color of Magic and I have never been able to get into it. I would like to try some of his other stuff, though)
3. Diana Wynne Jones - anything of hers I have yet to read
4. George R. R. Martin - I hear his Song of Ice and Fire series is amazing and I must get my hands on it
5. Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norrel - I'm not sure of the author to this book either. I own it and am finding it difficult to get into, but I hear a lot of great things about it so once summer comes, I'll have another go at it.
Okay, feel free to add to this list! Booklists are good things, even if no one has time to actually read anything on them.
2 comments:
Regarding Rambam - he does indeed hold some rather difficult positions to understand. However, the fact that much his philosophy is difficult and not generally accepted, it does not negate his mastery in the realm of halacha. Also, some of his philosophical ideas have become the prevalent opinion nowadays--for example, his conception of yimot hamoshiach has been widely accepted in current times.
You wonder how according to his conception neviim are able to know the future--in my study of the Rambam's view, it has been explained to me thus: the person whose intellect is perfected to the degree that he describes is able to sense messages that are there, but undetectable to most. The analogy is to radio signals in the air. Most of us cannot pick up these signals, but those exactly in tune with them can hear what is being said, and therefore know more about the world and what will happen in it than the rest of us.
Regarding fantasy books - I went through a Diana Wynne Jones phase myself, and loved them, but it's been a while. Madeleine L'Engle is an old favorite. Gail Carson Levine wrote Ella Enchanted, also a spectacular book. May I reccommend Robin McKinley, author of "Beauty" and "Rose Daughter", two very different retellings of Beauty and the Beast, as well as several other good and poetic retellings of fairy tales.
Have you read any of the Ender books other than the ones listed there? Because I happen to like them-- but some people don't (if you want to read any of them, I own almost all of them, and you can borrow them if you want).
Also, with Terry Pratchett, there are some books of his which I like and some which I don't, so it's possible that even if you can't get into Color of Magic, you might like others. Try Reaper Man, that was the first one I read of his.
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