The Guide of the Perplexed

Synopsis

I found this book clear and directly related to questions that perplexed me. Often Maimonides' answers are more clear and direct than anything I ever heared. I was most impressed by his explanation for the original sin and for Adam expulsion from paradise. Of course, it had nothing to do with sex. The sin was in that God gave the mind to Adam to think for himself. But thinking is too hard. Adam refused to think. Instead he ate from the tree of knowledge, that is he acquired "shortcuts," "rules of thumb," ready made rules accumulated in culture throughout millenia. These rules are sound and safe, but it is not the ultimate demand of God. In contemporary science language, Adam refused to think by using his cortex (contemporary part of the brain), instead, he learned to use primitive emotions involving amigdala (ancient part of the brain). [Amazon]

RefTags

Released

1995

Location

Islam

Setting

Maimonides (1135-1204);