‘Jewish philosophy’ has been defined in a number of different ways. Some regard it as the explication of Jewish beliefs and practices by means of philosophical concepts and norms. Others, such as L. E. Goodman, would place less stress on religious belief.

In so far as the views expressed by the Jewish-born thinkers in this chapter reflect common experiences among post-Enlightenment Jews, in so far as their Jewish backgrounds helps account for their contributions to the wider political debate and theory, and in so far as their arguments draw heavily upon traditional literary resources, the Bible in particular, one could argue that they belong to the honourable tradition of Jewish philosophy. As Jewish philosophers, however, Baruch Spinoza, Lev Shestov, and Jacob Taubes do have certain serious shortcomings. A philosophical tradition should be understood first and foremost in terms of the key philosophic problem, or set of problems, that gave rise to it in the first place. For these thinkers, the key problem concerns the nature of religious authority within society.