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In: Philosophy & Ethics·Religion/Spirituality
Public-domain ebook sourced from Project Gutenberg #73584.
The work is a scholarly edition of Moses Maimonides’ Guide for the Perplexed, presented in English translation with extensive introductory material. The editor, M. Friedländer of Jews’ College, explains that the first three‑volume English edition proved too costly, so he produced a single‑volume version by removing the notes and transliterating Hebrew terms, aiming to make the text affordable for students of theology and Jewish literature. The volume opens with a preface describing the translation effort, a brief biography of Maimonides that emphasizes his alleged apostasy, and an analysis of the whole Guide, followed by a translation of the first part of the Arabic original with critical commentary. The contents list shows a detailed, systematic exposition of the Guide’s chapters, ranging from linguistic notes on biblical terms to extensive philosophical discussions of God’s attributes, creation, and prophecy.
The prose reflects late‑Victorian academic style: formal, densely footnoted, and rooted in the scholarly conventions of the 1880s–1900s. Its voice is that of a learned editor addressing fellow scholars, combining careful philological work with a clear desire to disseminate Maimonides’ thought. Readers who enjoy rigorous historical‑philosophical studies, especially those interested in medieval Jewish thought, Aristotelian philosophy, or the interplay of scripture and rational inquiry, will find this edition rewarding. It appeals to graduate students, clergy, and anyone seeking a thorough, period‑accurate presentation of the Guide rather than a popularized summary.
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The first Edition of the English Translation of Maimonides’ Dalalāt al-Hairin being exhausted without having fully supplied the demand, I prepared a second, revised edition of the Translation. In the new edition the three volumes of the first edition have been reduced to one volume by the elimination of the notes; besides Hebrew words and phrases have been eliminated or transliterated. By these changes the translator sought to produce a cheap edition in order to bring the work of Maimonides within the reach of all students of Theology and Jewish Literature.
M. FRIEDLÄNDER.
Jews’ College, July 1904.
PREFACE TO VOLUME ONE OF THE FIRST EDITION
In compliance with a desire repeatedly expressed by the Committee of the Hebrew Literature Society, I have undertaken to translate Maimonides’ Dalalāt al-Ḥairin, better known by the Hebrew title Moreh Nebuchim, and I offer the first instalment of my labours in the present volume. This contains—(1) A short Life of Maimonides, in which special attention is given to his alleged apostasy. (2) An analysis of the whole of the Moreh Nebuchim. (3) A translation of the First Part of this work from the Arabic, with explanatory and critical notes.
Parts of the Translation have been contributed by Mr. Joseph Abrahams, B.A., Ph.D., and Rev. H. Gollancz—the Introduction by the former, and the first twenty-five chapters by the latter.
In conclusion I beg to tender my thanks to Rev. A. Loewy, Editor of the Publications of the Hebrew Literature Society, for his careful revision of my manuscript and proofs, and to Mr. A. Neubauer, M.A., for his kindness in supplying me with such information as I required.
M. FRIEDLÄNDER.
Jews’ College, June 1881.
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