The Long ConversationA timeline of world philosophy

Philosopher

Isaac Polqar

fl. 1250–1350

Also known as Isaac Pulgar

Jewish Averroist of northern Spain who read Judaism naturalistically and defended it against his former teacher, Abner of Burgos, after Abner converted to Christianity.

Isaac Polqar lived in northern Spain from the later thirteenth century into the first half of the fourteenth. Little is known of his life, but a poem in his honour praises his knowledge of philosophy, Bible and Mishnah, and calls him a poet, a physician and a respected member of his community. Most of his books are lost.

He is best known as the main opponent of his former teacher, Abner of Burgos, who converted to Christianity and turned his learning against Judaism. Polqar’s defence of a naturalistic, Averroist Judaism faced criticism both from Christians and converts and from more traditional members of his own community.

Key ideas

Judaism as true philosophy
Like other Jewish Averroists, Polqar took Averroes to be Aristotle’s best interpreter and read Judaism in the light of that Aristotelianism, assuming that Judaism and true philosophy must always agree.
A limited determinism
The heavens determine natural events, such as eclipses, which can therefore be predicted; but they do not determine human decisions. Polqar rejected the view that our choices only seem free.
Answering Abner
Much of his work answers Abner’s attacks on Judaism: on the Trinity and Incarnation, on the authority of the Talmud and the sages, and on whether the Messiah has already come.
Tradition
Jewish
Region
Northern Spain

Influences

Influenced by

Isaac Polqarfl. 1250–1350

Influenced by

Isaac Polqarfl. 1250–1350

Where these links come from
  • Isaac Polqar drew on Averroes. Source: Racheli Haliva, Isaac Polqar, Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy
  • Isaac Polqar drew on Isaac Albalag. Source: Bakinaz Abdalla, Isaac Albalag, Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy
  • Isaac Polqar studied with and argued against Abner of Burgos. Source: Racheli Haliva, Isaac Polqar, Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy

Key works

  • In Support of the Law ('Ezer ha-Dat)

Sources

  1. Bakinaz Abdalla, Isaac Albalag, Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy
  2. Racheli Haliva, Isaac Polqar, Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy