REL 80.08 Maimonides
"The modern Enlightenment postulated that "All men were created equal," at least in the sense that an essential part of being human was being a moral agent, capable of rational choice, and, thus, equally worthy of respect. No serious medieval thinkers would have found that credible. Their moral and intellectual ideals were thoroughly elitist. Nevertheless, some of them were committed to progressive political ideals, which constitute the Enlightenment toward which they worked, often at considerable personal risk. Maimonides' work epitomizes this type of Enlightenment, both in its arguments and in the style of its esotericism. The seminar will strive to achieve a synoptic view of this classic of Western religious-political thought."