Special Episode: Maimonides, With Earl Schwartz

As long promised, a conversation about Rabbi Moses Maimonides! Maimonides’ specific formula of teshuvah, the Jewish metaphor for personal change, is at the core of this entire podcast series. Jon Spira-Savett talks with Earl Schwartz, Jon’s own first teacher about moral philosophy and education. We discuss Maimonides and his ethical theory, his view of human psychology and motivation, and the role of the mind and thinking in moral development. Earl talks about Maimonides’ own life experiences and how they may have shaped his view of human nature and potential in his own time. Maimonides was an elitist, yet some of his perspectives have been transposed by others into a more democratic key. We also talk about Earl’s work exploring Lawrence Kohlberg’s cognitive-developmental theory and its application to Jewish education. Click here for show notes.