[Avodah] Rishonim on faith and reason

[Shalom Carmy]

My own orientation on science and religion questions is fairly well
known (see recent short articles in Tradition and in YU
Commentator). In a word, I don't think one needs to be much troubled
by supposed conflicts between literal readings of Breshit-as-science
and modern science.

Regarding evolution, cosmology and similar questions, however, the
fact that Rambam, Halevi and other rishonim were willing to revise
their understanding of Torah to avoid contradicting reason does not
entail that they would automatically capitulate to evolution. That
is because their conception of rational proof was more rigid than
our ideas of what is scientifically beyond reasonable doubt.

For a modern example of this high hurdle for proof, see my
discussion of R. Kook in "Rabbi AI Kook & Jewish Spirituality" ed.
Shatz and Kaplan.