Reply To: Theological Conundrum (read at your own risk)

Nope, I reject this parenthetical, because it contradicts what you were willing to accept above (that you don’t know what the value is).

I was only willing to accept it if there is personal value. If there is only a value to someone/something else then for all intents and purposes there is no value. If the value is personal then I am willing to accept that we might not know what it is.

What is the ??? if not the ultimate value of an act?

Good question. I can’t say for certain what the Rambam meant by ??? but if it’s just another value (albeit the best value) then there is no reason why it should be considered “better” to pursue this value over any other value.

No, because one value can be better or worse than another.

Certainly. $100 is better than $1. But you wouldn’t say that someone who takes $100 (legally) is a better person than someone who takes $1. Smarter, perhaps. But Better? If anything, the guy taking $100 is more “selfish” than the guy taking $1.