From Publishers Weekly
Philosopher Thomas ( Living Morally ) is probably uniquely qualified to write a comparative essay on the Holocaust and American slavery, being both Jewish and African American. This text is an admirably lucid and cogently argued comparison of two profoundly evil institutions, one that recognizes the differences between the Jewish and African American experiences of oppression without offering invidious comparisons. He does so in elegant, oddly Victorian-sounding prose that never loses itself in a welter of jargon. Delving into a basic understanding of human behavior, Thomas demolishes the notion that humankind is innately evil, offering in its place a theory of modest goodness in the context of a human fragility that may prevent the development of moral sensibilities. He goes on to offer a devastating critique of "common-sense morality," which requires only that one do no harm, not that one actively help another person in trouble. He uses slavery and the Holocaust as guides to understanding the comparative states of Jews and blacks in America, with some very tentative suggestions on where the tenuous relationship between these two groups could go. An important and engrossing book.
Copyright 1993 Reed Business Information, Inc.
Copyright 1993 Reed Business Information, Inc.
From Library Journal
Instead of a ponderous tract on two very different events, Thomas (philosophy & political science, Syracuse Univ.) provides a readable, even absorbing philosophic examination of the many faces of evil. Thomas views each of the catastrophic events of slavery and the Holocaust as unique, though he argues that they disclose a troubling aspect of human beings to compartmentalize evil and to be easily swayed from what is moral and ethical. Beginning with a discussion of the nature of evil, Thomas moves into concrete examples of suffering by both Jews and blacks. The final chapters address the present-day fates of these victimized peoples. This study deserves a wide readership. Recommended for most libraries.
- Paul Kaplan, Lake Villa Dist. Lib., Ill.
Copyright 1993 Reed Business Information, Inc.
- Paul Kaplan, Lake Villa Dist. Lib., Ill.
Copyright 1993 Reed Business Information, Inc.
