THE ACT OF DISCOVERY

Abstract

Maimonides, in his Guide for the Perplexed,1 speaks of four forms of perfection that men might seek. The first and lowest form is perfection in the acquisition of worldly goods. The great philosopher dismisses such perfection on the ground that the possessions one acquires bear no meaningful relation to the possessor: “A great king may one morning find that there is no difference between him and the lowest person.” A second perfection is of the body, its conformation and skills. Its failing is that is does not reflect on what is uniquely human about man: “he could [in any case] not be as strong as a mule.” Moral perfection is the third, “the highest degree of excellency in man’s character.” Of this perfection Maimonides says: “Imagine a person being alone, and having no connection whatever with any other person; all his good moral principles are at rest, they are not required and give man no perfection whatever. These principles are only necessary and useful when man comes in contact with others.” “The fourth kind of perfection is the true perfection of man; the possession of the highest intellectual faculties . . . .” In justification of his assertion, this extraordinary Spanish-Judaic philosopher urges: “Examine the first three kinds of perfection; you will find that if you possess them, they are not your property, but the property of others . . . . But the last kind of perfection is exclusively yours; no one else owns any part of it.”