Judaism and Enlightenment (Ideas in Context) [Hardcover]

Adam Sutcliffe (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 0521820154 | ISBN-13: 978-0521820158 | Publication Date: February 17, 2003

This major contribution to the history of European ideas investigates the philosophical and political significance of Judaism in the intellectual life of seventeenth and eighteenth century Europe. Adam Sutcliffe demonstrates how the enthusiastic fascination with Judaism that was prevalent around 1650 became contemptuous a century later. The intense responses of thinkers like Voltaire to Jewish topics are central to an understanding of the underlying ambiguities of the Enlightenment. The study interests scholars of Jewish history, the Enlightenment, and of the emergence of the modern movement.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"Adam Sutcliffe's book represents an important new synthesis, offering novel and insightful readings of both familiar and less-known thinkers. Since no one before him has attempted to examine so broadly European intellectual life in the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries from the perspective of attitudes toward Jews and Judaism, Sutcliffe's monograph represents a major contribution to Jewish and Enlightenment studies alike." The Jewish Quarterly Review

"It is rare that a scholarly historical work such as Sutcliffe's can be so useful for the understanding of some of the most vexing contemporary problems - in this case, the surprising resurgence of postmodern antisemitism." The Forward

"...passionate, well informed, and eloquent..." The New York Review of Books

"[I]n his highly anticipated first book, Adam Sutcliffe... makes the bold claim that what has for centuries been referred to as "the Jewish question," rather than being merely a less-than-admirable aspect of Enlightenment thought, was actually of central importance in shaping it... scholars are calling Mr. Sutcliffe's work groundbreaking." The Chronicle of Higher Education

"An excellent and stimulating analysis of the Enlightenment and its relationship to Jews and Judaism." H-GERMAN

"fascinating book" - Michael Mack, University of Sydney

Book Description

This major contribution to the history of European ideas investigates the philosophical and political significance of Judaism in the intellectual life of seventeenth and eighteenth century Europe. Adam Sutcliffe shows how the enthusiastic fascination with Judaism prevalent around 1650 had become contemptuous disdain a century later. He argues that the intense responses of thinkers like Voltaire to Jewish topics are central to an understanding of the underlying ambiguities of the Enlightenment. Judaism and Enlightenment will interest scholars both of Jewish history, and of toleration, enlightenment, and the emergence of modernity.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Hardcover: 340 pages
• Publisher: Cambridge University Press (February 17, 2003)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0521820154
• ISBN-13: 978-0521820158
• Product Dimensions: 9.2 x 6.5 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.8 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #4,582,788 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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8 of 19 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Or . . . Why Jews are News, October 30, 2003

By 

Ben Plonie (USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Judaism and Enlightenment (Ideas in Context) (Hardcover)

I can do no better than to point you to the review of this book in the Chronicle of Higher Education by Danny Postel to be seen at http://chronicle.com/free/v49/i25/25a01601.htm called The Rage of Reason: A scholar argues that Enlightenment thought was shaped by its obsession with Judaism.

I have often been astounded at the virulent view of Jews/Israel/Zionism taken by the various humanist, progressive, liberal, and yes, 'enlightened' movements, the media and academia etc. that often align them with what you might call their otherwise sworn enemies; reactionary neo-Nazi skinhead Holocaust revisionists, the regressive Islamic fundamentalist movements and so on.

Then there is the ridiculous 'Amen corner' of rabid anti-Zionists who pointedly call themselves Jewish as a validation of their advocacy: Israel Shahak, Israel Shamir, Noam Chomsky, Norman Finkelstein, Adam Shapiro, Bobby Fisher, Yossi Beilin, on and on and on, forgive me for not mentioning another ten thousand names well known to Jew haters.

Even after taking Soviet propaganda and personal psychotic factors into account, or the odd social or political gaffe in Israel, there still remains a 'chicken-and-egg' feeling that leaves one wondering at its source. This beautifully expressed book sheds the kind of genuine enlightenment on this topic that could be an epiphany for any Jewish person wishing to comprehend the unneccesary religious/intellectual dichotomy, as well as the past, present and future history of the Middle East.