Uriel da Costa | |
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![]() Imaginary 1897 portrait by Léon Bakst | |
Born | Gabriel da Costa Fiuza 1585 |
Died | 1640 C. |
Education | Universidade de Coimbra, Faculty of Law (BA, June 1608) |
Era | 17th century Philosophy |
Region | Western philosophy |
Institutions | University of Coimbra |
Main interests | Biblical Criticism, Criticism of Judaism, Philosophy of Religion, ethics, morality |
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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 he was excommunicated by several Jewish authorities. His iconoclastic life culminated in suicide in c. 1640.