The Genesis of Salomon Maimon's Kantian Interpretation of Maimonides.

This essay explores Salomon Maimon's first published articles: an article on Moses Maimonides that he published in the Berlinische Monatsschrift in 1789 and a slightly revised version of the same article that he published in Ha-Meassef , the leading journal of the Jewish Enlightenment, several months later. These articles represent the first time that Maimon interprets Maimonides's thought along the lines of Kantian philosophy, anticipating his interpretations of Maimonides in Giv'at ha-Moreh (1791), his Hebrew commentary on Maimonides's Guide of the Perplexed , and his Autobiography (1792/93). Employing Kantian terminology and concepts, Maimon offers a novel interpretation of Maimonides's thought that accords with Kant's critical insights. Furthermore, Maimon uses his explication of Maimonides's thought as an opportunity to provide his own interpretation of Kant's theory of cognition, setting the stage for his critical analysis of Kantian epistemology in his Essay on Transcendental Philosophy (1790). These articles also underscore the often-overlooked importance of Maimonides for Maimon more generally. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]