Henry More against the Lurianic Kabbalah. The Arguments in the Fundamenta

Titolo Rivista RIVISTA DI STORIA DELLA FILOSOFIA
Autori/Curatori Giuliana Di Biase
Anno di pubblicazione 2022 Fascicolo 2022/1
Lingua Inglese Numero pagine 17 P. 19-35 Dimensione file 211 KB
DOI 10.3280/SF2022-001002
Il DOI è il codice a barre della proprietà intellettuale: per saperne di più clicca qui

Qui sotto puoi vedere in anteprima la prima pagina di questo articolo.

Se questo articolo ti interessa, lo puoi acquistare (e scaricare in formato pdf) seguendo le facili indicazioni per acquistare il download credit. Acquista Download Credits per scaricare questo Articolo in formato PDF

Anteprima articolo

FrancoAngeli è membro della Publishers International Linking Association, Inc (PILA)associazione indipendente e non profit per facilitare (attraverso i servizi tecnologici implementati da CrossRef.org) l’accesso degli studiosi ai contenuti digitali nelle pubblicazioni professionali e scientifiche

The Cambridge Platonist Henry More was fiercely averse to the Lurianic Kabbalah, with which he became acquainted through the two tomes of the Kabbala denudata (1677; 1684). More contributed to the first tome substantially and was highly influential in shaping the reception of this work, edited by Christian Knorr von Rosenroth. He denounced the incompatibility of the Christian religion with Luria’s system and in his last contribution, the Fundamenta, he put forward an apagogical argument meant to show the inconsistency of Luria’s teaching. The article aims at exploring the nature of More’s argument so as to highlight the philosophical essence of his criticism, the intention of which was to emphasize the incompatibility of the Kabbalah with any form of rational speculation. Luria’s doctrine appeared to More to be a compromise between materialism and spiritualism, a sort of hybrid theory that was even worse than materialism, given its misleading theistic appearance as well as the lack of internal coherence. This compromise was also morally unacceptable, being symptomatic of weakness of the will.

Keywords:Kabbalah, Luria, spirit, living matter, creatio ex nihilo, apagogical argument.

  1. Battafarano 1992: I. M. Battafarano, ed., Special Issue: Christian Knorr von Rosenroth: Werk und Wirking, «Morgen-Glantz. Zeitschrift der Christian von Rosenroth Gesellshaft», 2, 1992.
  2. - Brown 1990: S. Brown, Leibniz and More’s Cabbalistic Circle, in S. Hutton (ed.), Henry More (1614-1687): Tercentenary Studies, Kluwer, Dordrecht 1990, pp. 77-95.
  3. - Budde 1700: J. F. Buddeus, Defensio Cabbalae Ebraeorum contra Auctores quosdam Modernos, in Observationum selectarum ad rem literariam spectantium, Officina Libraria Rengeriana, Halae Magderburgicae,1700, t. 1, pp 207-231.
  4. - Chaies 2014: J.H. Chajes, Kabbalah and the Diagrammatic Phase of the Scientific Revolution, in R.I. Cohen, N. B. Dohrmann, A. Shear, E. Reiner (eds.), Jewish Culture in Early Modern Europe: Essays in Honor of David B. Ruderman, Hebrew Union College Press, Cincinnati, University of Pittsburg Press, Pittsburg 2014, pp. 109-123.
  5. - Copenhaver 1980: B. P. Copenhaver, Jewish Theologies of Space in the Scientific Revolution: Henry More, Joseph Raphson, Isaac Newton and their Predecessors, «Annals of Science», 37, 5, 1980, pp. 489-548.
  6. - Coudert 1975: A. Coudert, A Cambridge Platonist Kabbalist Nightmare, «Journal of the History of Ideas», 36, 4, 1975, pp. 633-652.
  7. - Coudert 1992: A. Coudert, Henry More, the Kabbalah, and the Quakers, in R. Kroll, R. Ashcraft, and P. Zagorin (eds.), Philosophy, Science, and Religion in England, 1640-1700, Cambridge University Press, Cambridge 1992, pp. 31-67.
  8. - Coudert 1993: A. Coudert, «The Kabbala denudata: Converting Jews or Seducing Christians?», in R. H. Popkin and Gordon M. Weiner (eds.), Jewish Christians and Christian Jews, Kluwer Academic Publishers, Dordrecht 1993.
  9. - Coudert 1999a: A. Coudert, The Impact of the Kabbalah in the Seventeenth Century: The Life and Thought of Francis Mercury van Helmont (1614–1698), Brill, Leiden 1999.
  10. - Coudert 1999b: A. Coudert, The Kabbala denudata, in Richard Popkin (ed.), The Columbia History of Western Philosophy, Columbia University Press, New York 1999, pp. 363-366.
  11. - Crocker 2001: R. Crocker, Henry More and the Preexistence of the Soul, in Religion, Reason and Nature in Early Modern Europe, ed. by R. Crocker, Kluwer, Dordrecht 2001, pp. 77-96.
  12. - Helmont 1682: [F.M. van Helmont], A cabbalistical dialogue in answer to the opinion of a learned doctor in philosophy and theology, that the world was made of nothing as it is contained in the second part of the Cabbala denudata & apparatus in Lib. Sohar, printed in Latin at Sultsbach, anno 1677; to which is subjoyned a rabbinical and paraphrastical exposition of Genesis I, written in High-Dutch by the author of the foregoing dialogue, first done into Latin, but now made English, B. Clark, London 1682.
  13. - Hutton 1999: S. Hutton, More’s Millenarianism and the Ma’aseh Merkavah, in J. E. Force and D. S. Katz (eds.), Everything Connects: In Conference with Richard Popkin, Essays in His Honor, Brill, Leiden-Boston 1999, pp. 165-181.
  14. - Hutton 2004: S. Hutton, Anne Conway: A Woman Philosopher, Cambridge University Press, Cambridge 2004.
  15. - Idel 2007: M. Idel, Ben: Sonship and Jewish Mysticism, Shalom Hartman Institute/Continuum, London-New York 2007.
  16. - Leech 2013: D. Leech, The Hammer of the Cartesians. Henry More’s Philosophy of Spirit and the Origins of Modern Atheism, Peeters, Leuven-Paris-Walpole, MA, 2013.
  17. - Kemp 1971: F. Kemp, Christian Knorr von Rosenroth: Sein Leben, Seine Schriften, Briefe und Übersetzungen, in J.B. van Helmont, Aufgang der Artzney-Kunst, trans. by C. Knorr von Rosenroth with contributions by W. Pagel and F. Kemp, Munich 1971(reproduction of the 1683 edition), vol. 2, pp. xxi–xxxviii.
  18. - Knorr von Rosenroth 1677: C. Knorr von Rosenroth (ed.), Kabbala Denudata, sive Doctrina Hebraeorum Transcendentalis et Metaphysica Atque Theologia, vol. 1, A. Lichtenthaler, Sulzbach 1677; http://www.billheidrick.com/Orpd/KRKD/index.htm.
  19. - Knorr von Rosenroth 1677a: C. Knorr von Rosenroth, Considerationes ac Quaestiones in Tractatum primum Libri Druschim R. Isaaci Loriensi Amica responsio ad Henricum Morum, in Knorr von Rosenroth 1677, pars secunda, pp. 73-99.
  20. - Knorr von Rosenroth 1677b: C. Knorr von Rosenroth, Ad fundamenta Cabbalae aëto-paedo-Melissaeae dialogus, in Knorr von Rosenroth 1677, pars secunda, pp. 308-312.
  21. - Knorr von Rosenroth 1684: C. Knorr von Rosenroth (ed.), Kabbala Denudata, sive Doctrina Hebraeorum Transcendentalis et Metaphysica Atque Theologia, vol. 2, A. Lichtenthaler, Frankfurt 1684; -- http://www.billheidrick.com/Orpd/KRKD/index.htm.
  22. - Laerke 2017: M. Laerke, Three texts of the Kabbalah: More, Wachter, Leibniz and the philosophy of the Hebrews, «British Journal for the History of Philosophy», 25, 5, 2017, pp. 1011-1030.
  23. - MacGregor Mathers 1912: S.L. MacGregor Mathers (ed.), The Kabbalah Unveiled, The Theolosophical Publishing Company, New York 1912.
  24. - More 1653: H. More, Conjectura cabbalistica or, a conjectural essay of interpreting the minde of Moses, according to a threefold cabbala: viz. literal, philosophical, mystical, or, divinely moral, J. Fletcher, London 1653.
  25. - More 1655: H. More, An Antidote against Atheism, London, 1655 (first edition 1653).
  26. - More 1659: H. More, The Immortality of the Soul, London, 1659.
  27. - More 1671: H. More, Enchiridion Metaphysicum, London 1671.
  28. - More 1677a: H. More, Aditus tentatus rationem reddendi Nominum & Ordinis decem Sephirotharum in duabus Tabulis Cabbalisticis, ex Scriptura, Platonismo, Rationeque libera D. Henrici Mori Cantabrigiensis, in Knorr von Rosenroth 1677, pars secunda, pp. 14-27.
  29. - More 1677b: H. More, Epistola ad Compilatorem, pp. 52-61, followed by Quaestiones et Considerationes paucae brevesque in Tractatum primum Libri Druschim. Sive Introductionem Metaphysicam ad Cabbalam Genuinam, Auctore R. Isaaco Loriensi, in C. Knorr von Rosenroth 1677, pars secunda, pp. 62-72.
  30. - More 1677c: H. More, Ad Clarissimum ac Eruditissimum virum N.N. (Christian Knorr von Rosenroth) De rebus in Amica sua Responsione contentis Ulterior Disquisitio, in Knorr von Rosenroth 1677, pars secunda, pp. 173-224.
  31. - More 1677d: H. More, Visionis Ezechieliticae sive Mercavae Expositio, ex Principiis Philosophiae Pythagoricae Praecipuisque Theosophiae Judaicae Reliquiis concinnata, Miraque cum locis quibusdam S. Scriptura hactenus obscuris, ac luculenta congruitate consolidata, in Knorr von Rosenroth 1677, pars secunda, pp. 225- 273.
  32. - More 1677e: H. More, Catechismus cabbalisticus, sive Mercavaeus, quo, in Divinis Mysteriis Mercavae Ezechieliticae Explicandis & memoria retinendis Decem Sephirotharum Usus egregie illustratur, in Knorr von Rosenroth 1677, pp. 274-292.
  33. - More 1677f: H. More, Fundamenta Philosophiae sive Cabbalae Aëto-Paedo-Melissaeae, Quae omnem Creationem propriè dictam negat, Essentiamque supponit Divinam quasi Corporeo-Spiritualem, Mundumque Materialem aliquo modo Spiritum, in Knorr von Rosenroth 1677, pars secunda, pp. 293-307.
  34. - More 1682: [Glanvill, Joseph and Rust, George], Two Choice and Useful Treatises, James Collins and S. Lowndes, London 1682.
  35. - More 1878: H. More, The Complete Poems of Dr. Henry More (1614-1687), ed. by A.B. Grosart, Edinburgh University Press, Edinburgh 1878, pp. 89-100.
  36. - Reid 2012: J. Reid, The Metaphysics of Henry More, Dordrecht, Springer 2012.
  37. - Schmidt-Biggerman 2013: W. Schmidt-Biggerman, Geschichte der christlichen Kabbala, 1660-1850, vol. 3, Frommann-Holzboog, Stuttgart-Bad Cannstatt 2013.
  38. - Scholem 1954: G. Scholem, Major Trends in Jewish Mysticism, Schocken Books, New York and Jerusalem 1954 (first edition: 1941).
  39. - Scholem 1978: G. Scholem, Kabbalah, Meridian Books, New York 1978.
  40. - Vileno 2016: A.M. Vileno, A l’ombre de la Kabbale. Philologie et ésotérisme au XVIIe siècle dans l’oeuvre de Knorr von Rosenroth, Champion, Paris 2016.

Giuliana Di Biase, Henry More against the Lurianic Kabbalah. The Arguments in the Fundamenta in "RIVISTA DI STORIA DELLA FILOSOFIA" 1/2022, pp 19-35, DOI: 10.3280/SF2022-001002