<biography, history of philosophy> French Jewish mathematician and philosopher (1288-1344). Following the leads of Maimonides and Ibn Rushd, Gersonides maintained that truths of reason cannot conflict with revealed religion. He denied the possibility of creation ex nihilo, supposing instead that matter is eternal. On Gersonides view, however, genuine human freedom is possible because the omniscience of god extends only to knowledge of universals. Recommended Reading: Jacob J. Staub, The Creation of the World According to Gersonides (SBL, 1982) and Gersonides on Providence, Covenant, and the Chosen People: A Study in Medieval Jewish Philosophy and Biblical Commentary (SUNY, 1995).
[A Dictionary of Philosophical Terms and Names]
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