Study Questions

Maimonides, Selections from The Guide of the Perplexed

in Education: Power and Choices, pp. 15-21.

"The Allegory of the Cave," "The Apology," "The Death of Ivan Iliyich," the ideas of Margie Profet and Chandra--Maimonides would consider all of these examples ofmetaphysics. In Chapter XXXIV (Class Pack 51) Maimonides argues that we should not "divulge such matters to the vulgar crowd." As for the less-vulgar crowd, we ought not direct the common beginning student's attention to these subjects, much less place them at the beginning of a course of liberal education.

More specifically, in his "fourth reason," Maimonides says that true wisdom or perfection "is impossible except for a man whose moral character is properly trained and who possesses dignity and balance." He goes on to say of those who lack these qualities, "Such people never can achieve perfection. To labour with them in this discipline is utter foolishness on the part of him who tries to instruct them..." (p. 53).