Offender Rehabilitation: The Middle Way of Maimonides to Mental and Social Health

Traditional religious and spiritual texts offer a surprising wealth of relevant theoretical and practical knowledge about human behavior. This wellspring may contribute significantly to expanding our current body of knowledge in the social sciences, and criminology in particular. In Jewish religious texts, specifically by Maimonides, we can find profound analyses of human traits and guidelines for a normative way of life. Among other things, modern criminological literature attempts to link certain character traits and divergent behaviors. Using the hermeneutic phenomenological approach, this present study analyzed Maimonidean writings, mainly Laws of Human Dispositions, in order to understand Moses ben Maimon (1138-1204) and his view of character traits. The analysis yielded four themes: (1) Human personality between nature and nurture; (2) The complexity of human personality, imbalance and criminality; (3) Extremism as a way to achieve balance; and (4) The Middle Way, flexibility and common sense. These themes can serve therapeutic purposes, as well as inform a rehabilitation model. Grounded in a theoretical rationale about the nature of humans, this model is designed to direct individuals to balance their traits by self-reflection and constant practice of the Middle Way. The article concludes by proposing that implementing this model may promote normative behavior and thus contribute to rehabilitating offenders.

The Soul in Medicine: Rabbinic and Scientific Controversies

The practice of medicine relies on a combination of two very different sources, and requires two kinds of talents: a cognitive-instrumental, knowledge-based and disease-centered approach; and a psychological, expressive-relational and patient-centered approach. Throughout the centuries, the mix between the cognitive and expressive dimensions, and the relative emphasis given to each approach, has varied considerably. Current evidence-based medicine privileges the cognitive-performative dimension. The recent developments within medicine are indicative of the inherent and lasting tension between the cognitive and expressive dimensions. Not surprisingly, then, related terms of debate are also apparent in medieval rabbinic discussions of medical practice. However, the rabbinic and medical traditions resolved the tension in very different ways. This paper explores a conceptual link between the modern dynamics of the cognitive and the socio-relational dimensions, and a complementary rabbinic controversy starting in the thirteenth century, originally between Maimonides and Nahmanides, both physicians. There are significant interactions between the modern evolution in the roles of doctors and patients, and the rabbinic approaches to physicians and illness. The mapping of the two debates about doctors and patients suggests that the tension between science and soul, and the dynamics of integrating them, has characterized medicine through the ages, though they can lead to different outcomes.

Toward Becoming an Accomplished Physician: Maimonides versus Galen

Although Maimonides stated that perfection in the medical art, both in theoretical and in practical expertise, is very difficult to achieve, he did not accept Galen's opinion, i.e. that perfection is beyond human capability. Any person seeking intellectual perfection should, according to Maimonides' view, be fully trained in logic, in the natural sciences, and in theology. A physician is moreover requested to study and memorize basic medical literature; he must consider each patient as a sick individual, without neglecting the patient's psychological disposition; and he should aim at inspiring confidence and trust, not only in his patient, but also in the latter's environment. Even when feeling competent and trustworthy, the physician should not be conceited; here Maimonides insists on offering his personal experience, in a quite impressive way. This approach of Maimonides to the practice of medicine should be considered, even today, as a valuable incentive for patient-oriented medical education, as already expressed in the late eleventh century.

The Maimonides Portrait: An Appraisal of One of the World's Most Famous Pictures

Surprisingly, an utterly imaginative "portrait" has become synonymous with Maimonides forever. How and when did this particular portrait become associated with Maimonides? This and many other intriguing questions regarding this portrait are systematically addressed, and its origins, possible inspiration, and hidden objectives are revealed.

The soul and the body in the philosophy of the rambam

Among the wide-spectrum contribution of the Rambam - the Maimonides - in philosophy to the word and to Judaism are his ideas on the body and on the soul and on the relations between them. His major approaches in these subjects are the following: 1) The body is the home of the soul, and the soul guides the body. That means the body and the soul are one unit. 2) The soul has five virtual parts. Each part is responsible for another activity in the human being. 3) Except for the treatment of diseases of the body and the soul with drugs, foods, physical exercise, etc., the Rambam believes that maintaining the health - of the body and of the soul - lies first of all, and probably exclusively, in observing the commandments and improving one's ways, morals and conduct up to their highest levels, toward all of the world's creatures. 4) The Rambam is of the opinion that one needs to persist in learning the Torah. One should worship God with awe and love and observe good values and virtues. All of these build the frameworks that maintain mental health and strengthen man's abilities to develop skills for maintaining bodily health. This is so because body and soul are one - which is the basis of the Rambam's philosophy of health and medicine.

Maimonides' appreciation for medicine

Moses Maimonides, the illustrious medieval rabbi and philosopher, dedicated the last decade of his life primarily to medicine. His strong interest in medicine was an integral component of his religious-philosophical teachings and world view. In this paper various sources from his rabbinic writings are presented that explain Maimonides' motivation regarding and deep appreciation for medicine: (A) The physician fulfills the basic biblical obligation to return lost objects to their owner, for with his knowledge and experience the physician can restore good health to his sick fellow human being; (B) medicine provides a unique opportunity to practice imitatio dei, as it reflects the religious duty to maintain a healthy life-style; (C) as an important natural science, medicine offers tools to recognize, love, and fear God. These three aspects address man's relationship and obligation towards his fellow-man, himself and God. Biographical insights supported by additional sources from Maimonides' writings are discussed.

Human action and God's will: a problem of consistency in Jewish bioethics

The religious legitimacy of medical practice was an issue of serious contention amongst medieval Jewish scholars. For Nahmanides, altering the patient's fate through manipulation of natural causality amounts to circumventing divine judgment. For Maimonides, however, human accomplishment is part of God's providential design; this view generally prevails in contemporary Jewish bioethics. But the doctrine of deligitimizing human intervention continues, even while unacknowledged, the underlie certain contemporary positions. These include arguments within Jewish bioethics about end-of-life decisions, which are therefore imbued with inconsistencies. It is suggested that, given the overall endorsement of modern medicine, the Nahmanidean approach must be explicitly confronted.