Download or read book Moses Mendelssohn and the Enlightenment written by Allan Arkush and published by State University of New York Press. This book was released on 2012-02-01 with total page 324 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Moses Mendelssohn, the author of numerous works on natural theology and ethics, was also the first modern philosopher of Judaism. This book places Mendelssohn's thought within the context of the Leibnizian-Wolffian school, the writings of Kant and Lessing and other major figures of the Enlightenment, and within the age-old tradition of Jewish rationalism. More than any previous treatment of this subject, it questions the extent to which Mendelssohn truly succeeded in reconciling his allegiance to the philosophy of the Enlightenment with his adherence to Judaism.