The term mitpalsef in Jewish philosophy and its particular use in Jewish Averroism

The Hebrew word מתפלסף [mitpalsef], i.e., “philosophizer,” can be traced back to the medieval Tibbonide translations from Arabic into Hebrew. In this paper, I analyze the meanings that the term מתפלסף [mitpalsef] assumed in the medieval Jewish philosophical tradition, and especially its derogatory use by some rationalist authors. I will show that the term מתפלסף [mitpalsef], mainly in its plural form מתפלספים [mitpalsefim], became a polemical label employed by the Jewish Averroists chiefly because of the Hebrew translations of Averroes’ works. I will also investigate the meaning of this term in connection with related words (such as פילוסוף, התפלספות, התפלסף, נתפלסף), and I will briefly discuss the Arabic and Latin equivalents (متفلسفة and philosophantes).