History of Jewish Philosophy

The Notre Dame Centre for the History of Philosophy is home to Australia’s leading academic initiative dedicated to Jewish philosophy.

Jewish philosophy explores the deepest questions that Judaism asks - what is the nature of God, what is the meaning of law, what is the relation between reason and revelation, what makes for a good life and a good society?

The history of Jewish philosophy begins in antiquity with Philo of Alexandria, runs through medieval thinkers such as Maimonides (Rambam) and Judah Halevi, and continues into the twentieth century with philosophers such as Martin Buber and Joseph Soloveitchik.

The Jewish philosophical tradition developed in dialogue with the other two Abrahamic faiths (Christianity and Islam) and draws inspiration from both Jewish and non-Jewish sources, including Tanach, Talmud, and Greek philosophy.

As one of Judaism’s most significant contributions to world history and culture, Jewish philosophy has profound value for Jews and non- Jews alike.

Our History of Jewish Philosophy initiative, part of the Centre’s specialisation in Philosophy in the Abrahamic Traditions, seeks to deepen academic and public understanding of this remarkable intellectual legacy.

A page from Maimonides’ Guide of the Perplexed in Samuel Ibn Tibbon’s Hebrew translation, 14th-15th century edition.

Our research

We produce cutting-edge academic research on the history of Jewish philosophy and its interface with wider Abrahamic intellectual traditions.

Our research ranges from philosophical themes in the Hebrew Bible to medieval and modern debates about ethics, metaphysics, and philosophy of religion.

A current major project is Abstract of Truths by David b. Joshua Maimonides: An Edition & Translation, funded by the Gross Foundation ($74,000, 2025-2027). Led by Raphael Dascalu, this project will contribute a volume to the Gross Library of Jewish Philosophy, a new, 40-volume series of bilingual editions of medieval and early modern Jewish philosophical works, published with Oxford University Press.

Meet our convener

Our Jewish Philosophy convener is Dr Raphael Dascalu, Senior Research Fellow in the History of Jewish Philosophy.

Raphael is a distinguished scholar of medieval Jewish philosophy, with special expertise in late medieval Judaeo-Arabic texts.

Raphael completed his PhD at the University of Chicago, his MA at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, and BA at the University of Sydney. He has also studied at the Pardes Institute of Jewish Studies (Jerusalem), Yeshivat ha-Kibbutz ha-Dati (Ein Tzurim), and the Shalom Hartman Institute (Jerusalem).

Our activities

• International research projects
• Supervision of research Masters and PhD theses
• Translation projects
• Undergraduate and postgraduate teaching in Jewish philosophy
• Public events that deepen the Australian community’s understanding of the Jewish intellectual tradition

Our books

Our partners

The Centre has partnered with The Great Synagogue Sydney, one of Australia’s leading religious institutions, to advance the public understanding of the Jewish intellectual tradition in Australia.

Our flagship event is the John and Anna Belfer Oration in the History of Jewish Philosophy, an annual public lecture that brings a leading scholar of Jewish philosophy to Sydney. In addition to delivering the Oration, Belfer Orators participate during their stay in academic activities at the Centre.

The Belfer Oration is generously endowed by the Belanna Trust.

Partner with us

We are keen to partner with visionary community members to build our initiative into a world-leading Jewish philosophy academic program. Join us in exploring the rich heritage of Jewish philosophy.

To make a tax-deductible gift in support of CHOP’s Jewish philosophy work, select "CHOP - Jewish Philosophy" in the Fund dropdown menu of our Donation portal.

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