scientist philosopher of religion politics man of letters adult educator philosopher of halakhah (Jewish Law)
1924, Assistant Lecturer, hemistry, Cologne. 1953, Chief Editor, EncyloI’oedia Hehraica, Jerusalem. 1961-1973, Professor, rganic Chemistry, Biochemistry and NeurophySlCs> Hebrew University, Jerusalem.
1973-1994, Public lectures about Maimonides and Kant and, controversially, on the political philosophy 0 various Israeli governments.
Main publications:
946) Torah U-Mitzvot ha-Zman ha-Zeh [A Contemporary Approach to Torah and Commandments], Tel Aviv, 1953-1954.
^4) Yesodot ha-Beaiah ha-Psichofizit [Foundah°ns of the Psycho-Physical Problem], Tel Aviv. 75) Yahudut, Am Yehudi u-Medinal Israel, Tel vtv: Schocken (English translation. Judaism, i.v/i People and the State of Israel, Cambridge, ass: Harvard University Press, 1992
selected talian translation. 1980
French translation, 1985).
(3977) Sefer Yeshayahu Leibowitz [The Yeshayahu Leibovitz Book], Tel Aviv.
9) Sichot at Pirke Avot [Conversations on ‘The thics of the Fathers’], Tel Aviv, German translatlon, 1984.
2) Emunah. Historiah ve-Arachim [Faith, His- (|QsP and Values], Jerusalem: Akademon.
. ^ Ca/'Va-Nefesh: ha-Baaiah ha-Psichofizit
°dy and Soul: the Psycho-Physical Problem], Tel Aviv.
The Faith of Maimonides. New York: Adama. 1987).
(1985) Sichot al Mada ve-Arachim [Conversation on Science and Values], Tel Aviv.
(1985) Bein Mada le-Filosofia [Between Science and Philosophy], Jerusalem.
( 1986) Sichot al Shmone Prakim lu-Rambam [Conversations on Maimonides’ Eight Chapters], Jerusalem: Keter.
(1991) Am, Erets, Medinah [People, Land, State], Jerusalem: Keter.
Secondary literature:
Bouganim, A. (1990) Le Juif Egaré. Paris: Declée de Brouwer.
Goldman, Eliezer (ed. and trans.) (1992) Judaism, Human Values and the Jewish State. Cambridge, Mass: Harvard University Press.
David Hartman (1993) ‘Yeshayahu Leibovitz", in Interpreters of Judaism in the Late Twentieth Century, ed. S. T. Katz, Washington DC: Bnai Brith, pp 189-204.
Leibowitz was the most well known and controversial of all Israeli philosophers. His public stance against the occupation of areas with a large Arab population, was due to his interpretation of the halakhah as a pure and goalless service of God. For the same reason, however, he regarded Christianity as a form of paganism, and as the adversary, and even the negation, of Judaism.
In his advocacy of strict obedience to halakhah and his downgrading of cultural and ethnic definitions of Judaism he was influenced by Maimonides and Kant. He was a strong critic of any alliance between Orthodoxy and secular Zionism in the State of Israel, demanding a separation between the two, whilst remaining a fervent Zionist. He was particularly popular in the secular Israeli community, lecturing widely to large audiences and on the media.
He was the brother of Nehama Leibowitz.
Sources: Encyclopaedia Judaica. Schoeps; obituary. The Times, 24 Aug 1994.
