The philosophical account of religion and Judaism in the thought of Moses Mendelssohn

Moses Mendelssohn's extensive philosophical works on the nature and fundamental principles of religion and his less extensive, but equally significant, writings on Judaism are more difficult to reconcile with each other than is generally recognized. This study seeks to demonstrate, through a detailed examination of Mendelssohn's German and Hebrew writings, the extent of the unresolved tensions between his rationalist and liberal philosophical position, on the one hand, and his adherence to a revealed, non-liberal religion, on the other. The first part of this thesis focuses almost exclusively on Mendelssohn's writings on religion in general, and attempts both to clarify his sincerely held positions and to distinguish them from such arguments as he seems to have made for largely prudential reasons. The second part of this study examines the conflicts arising between Mendelssohn's philosophical teaching and the tenets of Judaism which he unreservedly affirms, including the absolute historicity of the Pentateuch's narrative and the enduring validity of the law which it contains. It is argued that these conflicts can be seen as resulting not from any fundamental inconsistency in Mendelssohn's thinking but rather from the tension between certain positions which he felt compelled to maintain, but which he did not genuinely uphold, and the Judaism to which he was unflinchingly loyal. It is the conclusion of this study that Mendelssohn was not, as some scholars have argued, less of a traditional Jew than he pretended to be but that he was, at bottom, less committed to certain rational and liberal principles than he appears to have been.