A study on the topic of freedom and free will in the book “O Cuzari”, by Iehuda Halevi

Abstract

The Cuzari is a medieval work of great importance that discusses the foundations of the Jewish faith. It was written in Spain at the time when the country was divided between Christians and Muslims in the XII century, in the beginning of the crusades, and when the Neo-Platonic philosophy influences the Islamic and Jewish thought. This work aimed to raise the self-esteem of a persecuted people and promote the differentiation between the Hellenistic and Jewish thought. A work written nearly nine hundred years ago, it remains as contemporary as when it was written, and it remains one of the basic books of Jewish philosophy. The discussions about freedom and free-will are some of the highlights of the work. The Cuzari discusses faith, reason, human intellect, ethics and moral and how to reconcile human free-will to the divine power, judgment and omniscience.