Epistemological Parallels between Maimonides and Evolutionary Theory Rooted in the Rejection of Anthropocentrism

One of the tenets of modern evolutionary science is to reject the idea that any species or set of species represents the climax or goal of evolution -- this would include rejecting most versions of anthropocentrism. In the Guide for the Perplexed, Maimonides also rejects anthropocentrism, in the strongest terms. His rejection, unique in all of Jewish philosophy, was rooted in a cosmology that valued the whole of Creation over any subset of creatures or species. He draws important conclusions based on this position about theodicy, ethics towards non-human species (what he calls "the other animals"), the nature of reality, and the knowability of God. Many of these conclusions have parallels in various interpretations of evolutionary theory. This paper will examine the parallels, as well as the distinctions, between Maimonides`s view of life and an evolutionary view of life, with an eye towards developing the basis for an integrative understanding of Jewish religious thought and evolutionary science.