Abstract

The Epistle to Yemen (composed in 1172) offers a rare opportunity to observe an individual of genuine philosophical stature engaging in popular enlightenment. As in his other works, Moses Maimonides appears here as a religious teacher, but one who goes beyond that and insists on introducing his audience to elementary notions of evidence, credibility, probability, and critical judgment.His Epistle is a decidedly political speech, both in subject matter and in manner of treatment.