The Guide of the Perplexed

The most authoritative translation of this classic work of Jewish thought

This monument of rabbinical exegesis written at the end of the twelfth century has exerted an immense and continuing influence upon Jewish thought. Its aim is to liberate people from the tormenting perplexities arising from their understanding of the Bible according only to its literal meaning. This edition contains extensive introductions by Shlomo Pines and Leo Strauss, a leading authority on Maimonides.

Leo Strauss (1899–1973) was one of the preeminent political philosophers of the twentieth century. From 1949 to 1968, he was professor of political science at the University of Chicago. He authored numerous books, including The Political Philosophy of Hobbes, Natural Right and History, and Spinoza’s Critique of Religion, among others.