Response to Manekin: Reading Aristotle through Gersonides: Innatism, Scepticism, and Empiricism

This paper engages with Charles Manekin’s interpretation of Gersonides’ account of our acquisition of first principles. I argue that reflecting on Gersonides’ approach to innatism, scepticism, and empiricism affords us insight into Aristotle’s thought. I discuss a long passage from Gersonides quoted and discussed in Manekin’s paper. I argue that Gersonides argues against two views contrary to Aristotle’s and Averroes’ position: innatism and scepticism. I then turn to Manekin’s account of Gersonides’ empiricism, arguing that we should distinguish between two theses concerning sense-perception’s contribution to our acquisition of first principles: one concerning causation and another concerning justification.