Idolatry as a Political Institution in Maimonides’ Thought

Esotericism and Exotericism

Abstract

This article analyzes Maimonides's concept of idolatry. I focus on its historical and political dimensions, based on the understanding that the essence of idolatry seen in this light is that of a political institution. This understanding allows us to draw significant similarities between the nature of idolatry and that of other religions, including Judaism. To achieve that, I proceed to treat Maimonides' perception of the historical messianic process and locate the place of idolatry in the framework of this process. The analysis is based on a close reading of Maimonides, but also of the philosophical sources he employs – the political treatises of al-Fārābī and Avicenna, which help not only to contextualize his ideas in time and place but also to interpret them. The paper makes the distinction between the exoteric and esoteric strata present in the writings of Maimonides in an attempt to employ a sophisticated esoteric model, which eschews binaries and remains informed of its inherent hermeneutic limitations. The paper proposes a coherent understanding of Maimonides' perception of political history, which shaped, in turn, his understanding of the times he lived in.