Exploring Jewish Neoplatonism: The Life and Philosophy of Solomon Ibn Gabirol
Release Date: 09/19/2025
Exploring Jewish Neoplatonism: The Life and Philosophy of Solomon Ibn Gabirol
Dr. John Vervaeke
Watch the first episode of our new season of Lectern Dialogues! This season’s guest is Zevi Slavin. Zevi Slavin is a philosopher, educator, and public scholar whose work explores the intersections of mysticism and philosophy across traditions. As the creator of Seekers of Unity, he is dedicated to reviving and reinterpreting the voices of philosophical mystics, with a focus on Jewish thought and its dialogue with Greek and Islamic philosophy. A leading voice in the study of Jewish Neoplatonism, Slavin highlights figures such as Solomon Ibn Gabirol, whose integration of poetry, metaphysics,...
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info_outlineWatch the first episode of our new season of Lectern Dialogues! This season’s guest is Zevi Slavin. Zevi Slavin is a philosopher, educator, and public scholar whose work explores the intersections of mysticism and philosophy across traditions. As the creator of Seekers of Unity, he is dedicated to reviving and reinterpreting the voices of philosophical mystics, with a focus on Jewish thought and its dialogue with Greek and Islamic philosophy. A leading voice in the study of Jewish Neoplatonism, Slavin highlights figures such as Solomon Ibn Gabirol, whose integration of poetry, metaphysics, and theology offers profound resources for contemporary seekers. Through his research and public teaching, he advocates for a unified vision of reality that transcends artificial divides between traditions, demonstrating how historical thinkers can inform modern life, meaning, and spirituality.
Seekers of Unity YouTube Channel: https://youtube.com/c/SeekersofUnity
The Zohar – Foundational text of Kabbalah: https://sefaria.org/Zohar?lang=bi
Lurianic Kabbalah (Isaac Luria): https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Isaac_Luria
Sefer Yetzirah – Early Kabbalistic text: https://sefaria.org/Sefer_Yetzirah?lang=bi
Each quarter, John engages in thought-provoking extended conversations with a leading expert in psychology, philosophy, and spirituality. Each season offers a unique exploration, bringing together their diverse fields of knowledge to create fresh insights and understanding. These in-depth discussions, chaptered for your convenience, offer nuanced perspectives and integrative approaches to navigating our complex world. The first episode is free and publicly available. To follow the rest of the season as well as gain access to previous discussions, you can sign up at the Beta Tier (and above) on The Lectern at https://lectern.teachable.com/p/lectern-lounge
Shownotes
(00:00) Welcome to the Lectern
(01:00) Philosophical Silk Road and Andalusian Thinker
(01:30) Innovative Intersection of Neoplatonism and Judaism
(02:00) Books and Literature on Ibn Gabirol
(03:00) Ibn Gabirol's Philosophical and Poetic Contributions
(03:30) “I really like about this is his idea of God as an inexhaustible fount of intelligible realness.”
(04:00) Dialogical Nature of Reason and Selected Poems
(05:00) Sarah Pessin's Work and Theology of Desire
(06:30) Jewish Influence and Mysticism in Ibn Gabirol's Work
(07:30) Philosophical Context and Relevance Today
(08:00) Zevi's Perspective on Philosopher-Mystics
(14:00) Discussion on Matter and Form
(22:30) Potentiality and Actuality in Neoplatonism
(35:30) Receptivity and Creativity in Philosophy
(41:00) Exploring the Receptivity of Matter and Jewish Mysticism
(41:00) The Coupling of Form and Matter in Existence
(43:00) Desire and the Divine Essence
(48:00) Logos and the Virtual Engine
(52:00) The Purpose of Mankind and Knowledge
(57:30) The Journey of Self-Organization and Complexity
(01:11:00) The Mystery of the Divine and the Analogy of Language
(01:22:00) The Legend of Ibn Gabirol's Death and Legacy
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Ideas, People, and Works Mentioned in this Episode
Philosophical Silk Road
Intersection of Neo-Platonism and Judaism
Ibn Gabirol’s philosophy of matter and form
Fountain of Life and the concept of God
Dialogical nature of reason
Jewish mysticism and its influence
Potentiality and actuality in Neo-Platonism
Receptivity and creativity in philosophy
Coupling of form and matter in existence
Desire and the divine essence
Logos as the “virtual engine”
Purpose of mankind and knowledge
Self-organization and complexity
The mystery of the divine and analogy of language
Ibn Gabirol (Avicebron)
Sarah Pessin – scholar, Theology of Desire
Zevi Slavin – host/interlocutor
Andalusian thinkers
Fountain of Life
Selected Poems of Ibn Gabirol
Theology of Desire
Books and literature on Ibn Gabirol generally
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