On Justice: An Essay in Jewish Philosophy.

• Author: Ivry, Alfred L.

This book, as its subtitle indicates, attempts to present Judaism's teachings on justice and related themes from a philosophical perspective. The controlling factor in the discourse is a putatively objective conceptualization of nature and of being in general. Nature, for Goodman, is more biology than it is history and more metaphysics than science; ultimately, it is a credo shaped by religious perspective.

Goodman's ultimate scale of value is rooted in an intuitive sense of worth for virtues which he believes are determinative in human existence. These virtues, of which justice may be seen as an all encompassing term, are considered both natural and divine, they are in nature and are expressions of the divine will. Complete congruence between these two spheres is avoided by the belief that there is a dimension to God which is beyond human understanding, limiting our comprehension of why things are as they are.

Accordingly, Goodman does not discuss the nature of God, nor the mechanics of creation, favorite themes of medieval Jewish philosophy, part of traditional arguments for establishing the very existence of God. Goodman takes that existence for granted, as he does the deity's identification with justice and rationality, and their manifestations on earth. Readers who would like to read Goodman on these issues may consult his Monotheism, as well as his other publications, all of which are cited in the notes.

This book thus builds on Goodman's earlier writings, in biology (with his wife Madeline), comparative religion, Islamic philosophy, and medieval Jewish philosophy and theology. On Justice represents a culminating work of the author, in which these earlier studies all find a place. Readers familiar with Goodman's oeuvre will immediately recognize his distinctive style of scholarship and philosophical creativity, his manner of transforming contexts and fashioning texts to give them contemporary currency.

Goodman acts out of conviction in the underlying universality of the texts he addresses, the philosophical dimension which he detects in each written source. Goodman is a philosopher, though even more so here, a theologian. Actually, he is a Maimonidean, on the subject of this book. Indeed, On Justice may be read as a modern recasting of Maimonides' views on justice and ethics in general, as well as on reward and punishment, messianism, and immortality. These latter themes are clearly theological in nature, and Goodman, as a...