In "On the Limits of Man's Intellect", Moses Maimonides proposes several valid theories on education. He discusses the learning processes of children, adolescents, women, men, and impoverished people. In these groups Maimonides defines the limitations of education set by the individual's abilities, age, and society. Though many aspects of Maimonides' explanations are not concordant with modern ideas, he creates cogent arguments on the limits of man's intellect that can be applied to society today. .
Maimonides finds one limitation, not in the shortcomings of education, but in the shortcomings of the individual's ability to comprehend. There are several facets to this argument. First, Maimonides explains that some things will never be completely construed. An example he gives for this is that the exact number of stars in the sky can never be determined. It is impossible for man to determine this because stars are so numerous and are incessantly being created and destroyed. Another aspect of this subject Maimonides offers is the actual ability of the man's mind. He provides the reader with an analogy to better explain this point. Maimonides says that a man can carry two kikkar, but he is not able to carry ten kikkar. Stronger men may be able to carry more kikkar, but this man is not. One can make this analogy relevant to modern times. One man at a gym is able to lift an eighty-pound barbell, whereas another man can only lift fifty pounds. Such is the case with an individual's mind. Some individuals are able to comprehend Calculus, whereas others can only understand math on a more basic level. .
Another argument on limitations Maimonides founds in the age of the individual. Maimonides gives several reasons why age can be an inhibitor. One idea is that young men are not mature enough to handle difficult subjects. He says that young men are of "hot blood" and "rashness". Distractions that come with youth are deterrents to education because the person is not able to concentrate on the subject he is studying.
