This brilliant and absorbing study examines the image of Judaism and the Jews in the work of two of the most influential modern philosophers, Hegel and Nietzsche. Hegel was a proponent of universal reason and Nietzsche its opponent; Hegel was a Christian thinker and Nietzsche a self-proclaimed 'Anti-Christ'; Hegel strove to bring modernity to its climax, while Nietzsche wanted to divert the evolution of modernity into completely different paths. In view of these conflicting attitudes and philosophical projects, how did each of them assess the historical role of the Jews and their place in the modern world?

The mature Hegel partly overcame the fierce anti-Jewish attitude of his youth, yet continued to see Judaism as the alienation of its own new principles. Post-Christian Judaism no longer had a real history, only a contingent protracted existence, and although modern Jews deserved civil rights, Hegel saw no place for them in modernity as Jews.

Nietzsche, on the contrary, who grew to be a passionate anti- anti- Semite, admired Diaspora Jews for their power and depth and assigned them a role as Jews in curing Europe of the decadent Christian culture which their own ancestors, the second-temple Jewish "priests", had inflicted upon Europe by begetting Christianity. The ancient corrupters of Europe are thus to be its present redeemers.

Through his masterly analysis of the writings of Hegel and Nietzsche, Yovel shows that anti-Jewish prejudice can exist alongside a philosophy of reason, while a philosophy of power must not necessarily be anti-Semitic.

About the Author

Yirmiyahu Yovel (born in 1935, Haifa) is an Israeli philosopher and public intellectual. He is Professor Emeritus of philosophy at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem and at the New School for Social Research in New York. Yovel has also been a political columnist in Israel and a frequent presence in the media. Yovel is a laureate of the Israel Prize in philosophy and officer of the French order of the Palme academique. His books were translated into French, German, Spanish, Portuguese, Rumanian, Hebrew, and Japanese.

Reviews
"An original, masterful exploration of the philsophic significance of Judaism and the Jews in the thought of Hegel and Nietzsche. Yovel's study is not only a superb intellectual reconstruction: He also raises profound and disturbing questions about the legacy of the Enlightenment in confronting Judaism." Richard J. Bernstein, New School for Social Research

"Yirmiyahu Yovel's Dark Riddle is a well-crafted and much-needed contribution to three scholarly literatures: on Hegel, on Nietzsche,and on the situation and the perception of the Jewish people in nineteenth-century Europe. This book is engaging and fascinating reading for anyone who cares about the interplay of philosophical ideas with the events of modern history." Stephen Crites, Wesleyan University

Book Information
ISBN 9780745620336
Author Yirmiyahu Yovel
Format Paperback
Page Count 256
Imprint Polity Press
Publisher John Wiley and Sons Ltd
Weight(grams) 435g
Dimensions(mm) 231mm * 153mm * 21mm