He, however, who begins with Metaphysics, will not only become confused in matters of religion, but will fall into complete infidelity.
Interpretation
Starting with metaphysics can lead to confusion in religion and a loss of faith.
This quote by Maimonides suggests that beginning one's exploration or understanding of spirituality and religion through the lens of metaphysics can create a muddled and unclear perspective. He warns that this confusion can lead to a significant shift in oneβs beliefs, potentially resulting in complete skepticism or a departure from faith altogether.
In practice
This quote can be used in a discussion about the relationship between philosophy and religion.
If men possessed wisdom, which stands in the same relation to the form of man as the sight to the eye, they would not cause any injury to themselves or to others; for the knowledge of truth removes hatred and quarrels, and prevents mutual injuries.
There are eight rungs in charity. The highest is when you help a man to help himself.
God who preceded all existence is a refuge.
When man possesses a good, sound body that does not overpower him nor disturb the equilibrium in him, he possesses a divine gift. In short, a good constitution facilitates the rule of the soul over the body, but it is not impossible to conquer a bad constitution by training.
If the whole earth is infinitely small in comparison with the sphere of the stars, what is man compared with all these created beings!
One should see the world, and see himself as a scale with an equal balance of good and evil. When he does one good deed the scale is tipped to the good - he and the world is saved. When he does one evil deed the scale is tipped to the bad - he and the world is destroyed.
The savage in man is never quite eradicated.
When we suffer anguish we return to early childhood because that is the period in which we first learnt to suffer the experience of total loss. It was more than that. It was the period in which we suffered more total losses than in all the rest of our life put together.
Since everything is but an apparition, having nothing to do with good or bad, acceptance or rejection, one may well burst out in laughter.
Pain forces even the innocent to lie.
The strength of a civilization is not measured by its ability to fight wars, but rather by its ability to prevent them.
There is no reality of consciousness independent of the effects of various vehicles of content on subsequent action (and hence, of course, on memory).
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