Aristotle on Eternity: Does Maimonides Have a Reply?

Abstract

The issue of the creation of the universe is not one that can be discussed in a manner at once simple, convincing, and philosophically illuminating. This is certainly one lesson to be learned from Maimonides’ treatment of the subject. Nor is this complexity merely a product of the literary demands engendered by Maimonides’ felt need to present the topic both exoterically and esoterically. Rather, as Maimonides makes amply clear, the subject itself forces us to contemplate an incredibly wide range of theological, philosophical, and scientific issues, which, of course, are only enlarged if we seek consonance with the texts of Scripture.