Q&A: Who Actually Holds Otherwise?
Who Actually Holds Otherwise?
Question
I’m currently reading the second book of your trilogy, and I wanted to understand the supposedly “novel” claim on which it is based.
But before that, I feel obligated to thank you for the precision and systematic rigor that fill every line and page there. Astonishing quality. Thank you.
So—what exactly is the criticism about? Is it even conceivable that anyone from any of the different study circles would say that the Sages have mandatory authority in matters of thought or in sketching the contours of reality?? It seems obvious that any reasonable person would agree that the structure of reality, or “the truth,” is what it is, regardless of whether someone wise, however wise, said otherwise. It’s strange to think that anyone would disagree with that.
The “authority” supposedly granted to the Sages by those with whom you disagree is not based on the premise that there is an obligation to think as they said, but on faith / conviction / the view that the Sages had the talent and ability to recognize reality as it truly is (whether this means intellectual ability or some mystical-spiritual mode that is “above” reason—divine inspiration).
So the point is not authority in the realm of thought at all, but whether they were in fact exposed to channels of perception more developed than ours or not. That is the issue, and that is where the main discussion should be. Each side should explain its position. But of course everyone understands that no one is authorized to determine what reality looks like. Everyone agrees that what matters here is the truth…
I have no doubt that there are very many believers who lack courage and analytical ability. Of course, many hide behind labels and definitions in order to exempt themselves from honestly grappling with difficulties. But even they understand that it is impossible to obligate me to think something is true. They simply believe that the Sages are right and describe things correctly, except that they do not have the integrity or courage to examine it. That’s all..
No one granted authority to the Sages…
Answer
We have a factual disagreement. In my opinion, there is almost no one who doesn’t think that way. Go out and see the reactions to the things I write.
Beyond that, this is not the main novelty there. It is one point that arises in laying the groundwork for discussing Jewish thought and its issues. And indeed, I also think they do not have superior sources of information, and I wrote that as well.
As I said—the reason for the reactions to what you say is not because you dispute the source of exclusive authority to determine the form of reality as it is, but rather because of a combination of conviction (even if it is not reasoned out / grounded in a substantive way) that the shape of reality really is as the Sages depicted it, since they are the “experts” on the matter, together with a basic need of the human soul for psychological and ideological stability regarding life and what surrounds it.
In my opinion, this is simply a mistaken judgment of the phenomenon. That’s all.
And I agree that this is only one point in creating the groundwork for the discussion, but it seems that this point receives great weight in light of the unconventionality it conveys.. (Implicitly I said that it is possible that those who disagree are themselves not aware of the distinction I am describing here, and perhaps unknowingly they adopt the failing you attribute to them. But again, not because they essentially hold it, but because they have not analyzed the foundations of the discussion.)