Description: Modern Jewish philosophy emerged in the seventeenth century, with the impact of the new science and modern philosophy on thinkers who were reflecting upon the nature of Judaism and Jewish life. This collection of essays examines the work of several of the most important of these figures, from the seventeenth to the late-twentieth centuries, and addresses themes central to the tradition of modern Jewish philosophy: language and revelation, autonomy and authority, the problem of evil, messianism, the influence of Kant, and feminism. Included are essays on Spinoza, Mendelssohn, Cohen, Buber, Rosenzweig, Fackenheim, Soloveitchik, Strauss, and Levinas. Other thinkers discussed include Maimon, Benjamin, Derrida, Scholem, and Arendt. The sixteen original essays are written by a world-renowned group of scholars especially for this volume and give a broad and rich picture of the tradition of modern Jewish philosophy over a period of four centuries.
Brief description: Michael L. Morgan has been a professor at Indiana University for 31 years and, in 2004, was named a Chancellor's Professor. He has published articles in a variety of journals and has edited several books, including: Interim Judaism (2001), Beyond Auschwitz: Post-Holocaust Jewish Thought in America (2001), and Dilemmas in Modern Jewish Thought: The Dialectics of Revelation and History (1992).
Review Quotes: 'The book invites the reader to reflect on the delightful diversity of modern Jewish thought and to assess its relevance in the modern world. Recommended for all libraries.' International Review of Biblical Studies