Q0589
“The Law as a whole aims at two things: the welfare of…” — Maimonides (Guide of the Perplexed III.27 (Pines))
Verified English quotation. Primary source: Guide of the Perplexed III.27 (Pines). Theme: power.
English
The Law as a whole aims at two things: the welfare of the soul and the welfare of the body.
Source and attribution
The archive attributes this English wording to Guide of the Perplexed III.27 (Pines) and files it under Jewish Rationalism. That locator distinguishes the passage from loose internet attributions: readers can return to the named work or section to check translation, surrounding argument, and edition-specific wording.
About Maimonides
Moses ben Maimon (1138–1204), known as Maimonides or Rambam, fled Almohad persecution from Córdoba to Fez and finally to Egypt, where he served as a communal leader and court physician. He codified Jewish law in the Mishneh Torah and wrote the Guide of the Perplexed for readers torn between Torah and Aristotelian science.
How to read this passage
Philosophers analyze domination, authority, freedom, and the micro-politics of everyday life. Power can enable justice or crush it. This passage enters that discussion through power, ethics, politics.
Concepts in this quote
- Power
- Power is the capacity to affect others and to shape what counts as possible—central to politics and ethics.
- Ethics
- Ethics appears in this archive as a live philosophical concern—not a slogan. These verified English passages show how thinkers treat ethics as a problem of judgment, practice, or explanation.
- Politics
- Politics appears in this archive as a live philosophical concern—not a slogan. These verified English passages show how thinkers treat politics as a problem of judgment, practice, or explanation.
How to cite this quotation
APA: Maimonides. (n.d.). The Law as a whole aims at two things: the welfare of the soul and the welfare of the body. In Philosophy Blind Box. https://www.philosophydef.com/quotes/q0589
MLA: Maimonides. “The Law as a whole aims at two….” Philosophy Blind Box, https://www.philosophydef.com/quotes/q0589.
Chicago: Maimonides. “The Law as a whole aims at two….” Philosophy Blind Box. Accessed 2026. https://www.philosophydef.com/quotes/q0589.
Frequently asked questions
What is the source of the quotation “The Law as a whole aims at two…”?
The passage is attributed to Maimonides, Guide of the Perplexed III.27 (Pines). The archive attributes this English wording to Guide of the Perplexed III.27 (Pines) and files it under Jewish Rationalism. That locator distinguishes the passage from loose internet attributions: readers can return to the named work or section to check translation, surrounding argument, and edition-specific wording.
What does Maimonides mean by power?
Philosophers analyze domination, authority, freedom, and the micro-politics of everyday life. Power can enable justice or crush it. This passage enters that discussion through power, ethics, politics.