Uriel da Costa
Uriel da Costa | |
|---|---|
Imaginary 1897 portrait by Léon Bakst | |
| Born | Gabriel Fiuza da Costa 1585 |
| Died | 1640 C. |
| Education | |
| Education | Universidade de Coimbra, Faculty of Law (BA, June 1608) |
| Philosophical work | |
| Era | 17th century Philosophy |
| Region | Western philosophy |
| Institutions | University of Coimbra |
| Main interests | Biblical Criticism, Criticism of Judaism, Philosophy of Religion, ethics, morality |
| Signature | |
Uriel da Costa (Portuguese: [uɾiˈɛl dɐ ˈkɔʃtɐ]; also Acosta or d'Acosta; c. 1585 – April 1640) was a Portuguese Sephardi philosopher who was born a New Christian but returned to Judaism, whereupon he questioned the Catholic and rabbinic orthodoxies of his time. This led him into conflict with both Christian and rabbinic institutions: his books were placed on the Index Librorum Prohibitorum and several Jewish authorities excommunicated him. His iconoclastic life culminated in suicide in c. 1640.