The Notre Dame Centre for the History of Philosophy warmly invites you to this Research Seminar.
TIME: Thursday, July 2, 1:00 - 2:30 pm IN PERSON: University of Notre Dame Australia, Broadway/Sydney Campus, NDS23/102 (46 Mountain Street Ultimo, NSW, 2007) Location note: NDS23 is a new UNDA building located at 46 Mountain Street - see these links for assistance: * UNDA campus map (https://www.notredame.edu.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0024/2688/broadway-campus-map.pdf) * Google Maps location (https://maps.app.goo.gl/iHXM4jfEFY8aEoZz8?g_st=ic) * Google Street view building entrance (https://maps.app.goo.gl/QwgmThvPLMcbWXQN7). ONLINE: https://teams.microsoft.com/l/meetup-join/19%3ameeting_YWFjZDdlYzItYzc1NC00NmM0LWJhZTktOTk2ZGVkOTg3ODYz%40thread.v2/0?context=%7b%22Tid%22%3a%22c93ebcc3-e84c-45c4-9c7e-8607adc072ec%22%2c%22Oid%22%3a%22d57c9f6e-4977-4ef4-ab54-cde3631e83ed%22%7d PASSCODE: hu6AB9t3 ________________________________ SPEAKERS: Samuel Lebens (Haifa) TITLE: Saadya Gaon's Original Position: Revelation, Reason, and the Problem of Coordination ABSTRACT: This paper explores the moral epistemology of the 10th-century Jewish mutakallim, Saadya Gaon. At the heart of this exploration lies a tension between Saadya’s “Opening Gambit” – a radically rationalist position, according to which all scriptural teachings could have been ascertained without the need for revelation – and the content of his more considered Treatise on Command and Prohibition. The “U-turn” between Saadya’s Opening Gambit and his more considered position is explained in virtue of a fundamental “coordination problem” – a problem that Saadya seems to have discovered centuries before the rise of the game theoretic machinery required to solve it. Finally, the paper connects Saadya’s post-U-turn position with twentieth-century communitarianism, particularly in the work of Rabbi Lord Jonathan Sacks. Indeed, it is argued that Saadya Gaon largely pre-empted both John Rawls’ original position, and the communitarian critique that it provoked. BIO: Samuel Lebens is associate professor of philosophy at the University of Haifa. His work spans a wide range of interests from the philosophy of Bertrand Russell to the teachings of the Hassidic Masters. He has published articles on topics ranging from religious epistemology to the ontology of literature. He was the founding chairperson of the Association for the Philosophy of Judaism and is an Orthodox Rabbi. Dr Catherine Wesselinoff Lecturer | School of Philosophy and Theology Lead, Strategic Programs and Partnerships | Institute for Ethics and Society (IES) The University of Notre Dame Australia. Book a meeting with me<https://outlook.office.com/bookwithme/user/[email protected]?anonymous&ismsaljsauthenabled&ep=plink> <https://outlook.office.com/bookwithme/user/[email protected]?anonymous&ismsaljsauthenabled&ep=plink> Recent Publications: "Beauty's Comeback", Debates in Aesthetics, Vol 19. No. 2, 2025, pp 35-45. "Apophatic Beauty in the Hippias Major and the Symposium", The Journal of Aesthetics and Art Criticism, Vol. 82, Issue 1, 2024, pp 36-44. The Revival of Beauty: Aesthetics, Experience, and Philosophy, Routledge, 2023. Disclaimer The information contained in this communication from the sender is confidential. It is intended solely for use by the recipient and others authorized to receive it. If you are not the recipient, you are hereby notified that any disclosure, copying, distribution or taking action in relation of the contents of this information is strictly prohibited and may be unlawful. This email has been scanned for viruses and malware, and may have been automatically archived by Mimecast Ltd, an innovator in Software as a Service (SaaS) for business. Providing a safer and more useful place for your human generated data. Specializing in; Security, archiving and compliance. To find out more visit the Mimecast website. --------- SydPhil mailing list To unsubscribe, change your membership options, find answers to common problems, or visit our online archives, please go to the list information page: https://mailman.sydney.edu.au/mailman/listinfo/sydphil
