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Y eshayahu L eibowitz's Axiology
Author(s) -
Brafman Yonatan
Publication year - 2015
Publication title -
journal of religious ethics
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.306
H-Index - 20
eISSN - 1467-9795
pISSN - 0384-9694
DOI - 10.1111/jore.12089
Subject(s) - axiology , value (mathematics) , philosophy , argument (complex analysis) , relation (database) , epistemology , sociology , theology , computer science , biochemistry , chemistry , database , machine learning
This essay explicates and assesses Y eshayahu L eibowitz's axiology, and its relation to the value he claims halakhic ( J ewish legal) practice instantiates: service of G od. It argues that, while L eibowitz often affirms a relativist “polytheism of values,” he sometimes implies that the religious value is the “most valuable value.” However, this is not due to its material content, because serving G od is objectively best; rather it is because, consonant with his negative theology, it most fully instantiates the formal properties of a value. The essay concludes by assessing the tenability of L eibowitz's metaethics as well as the argument for positing this contentless value as an intention and reason for halakhic practice.