Description
Book SynopsisNineteenth-century European thought, especially in Germany, was increasingly dominated by a historicist impulse to situate every event, person, or text in its particular context. This title examines the backlash against historicism, focusing on four Jewish thinkers, Hermann Cohen, Franz Rosenzweig, Leo Strauss, and Isaac Breuer.
Trade Review"David N. Myer's sparkling new book studies what happened to Jewish thought when, in modern times, history left behind its earlier, sacred incarnations and became a subject of secular investigation by critical scholars... Two innovations in Myer's book are especially noteworthy. First, Myers integrates the study of Jewish trends with the examination of corresponding Christian developments, since they were often contemporaneous... Second, Myers is especially interested in the ways in which his protagonists reacted to the project of Jewish history... Not the least of the accomplishments of Myer's outstanding work of history is that, intentionally or not, it raises the question of whether history is up to the acknowledgement of its own limitations."--Samuel Moyn, The Forward "As David Myers maintains in his fine new book, nowhere was the challenge of secular history more keenly felt than among the Jews of Germany. One virtue of Myer's book is that he places his subject within the wider 'crisis of historicism' that shaped nineteenth- and early twentieth-century German thinking about every aspect of social life, from politics to religion and the arts."--Mark Lilla, The New Republic "Resisting History is a major contribution to the study of Jewish thought. Myers' research is impeccable and he articulates his insightful theses convincingly. This monograph will appeal to scholars and general audiences alike."--Jewish Book World "If the Christian confrontation with historicism is well documented, much less is known about that of Judaism. For this reason alone, David Myers' recent book represents an important contribution to contemporary understanding; his work should elicit interest from students of Jewish, Christian, German, and modern thought alike."--Thomas Albert Howard, Books & Culture "No brief review like this can convey the quality of this book. Its richness of detail in integrating German and German-Jewish responses to the rise of historicism in the wake of the Enlightenment; its objective yet compassionate handling of the particular contributions Hermann Cohen, Franz Rosenzweig, Leo Strauss, and Isaac Breuer made to arrest historicism's 'double-barreled assault on transcendent values'; the correspondences and differences in their thinking and the impact of their writings on modern Judaism: these and many other qualities make this book memorable."--Ute Stargardt, Shofar "This is a fine study of a group of early-twentieth-century German-Jewish thinkers who have generally received too little attention. Their mainly skeptical attitude toward Zionism presages later intellectual and political quandaries. And their appreciation for the theologically and morally destructive implications of historicism is in many ways equally prescient."--Susan Meld Shell, Hebraic Political Studies "For anyone interested in German-Jewish thought, this book is a must-read. Myers shows an elegant command of his subject matter and is rightly considered an authority in the field. This book should, however, be equally fascinating for those interested in the philosophy of history or historical thought in the twentieth century in general."--Josiah Simon, European Legacy
Table of ContentsACKNOWLEDGMENTS ix A NOTE ON THE COVER xi INTRODUCTION 1 CHAPTER ONE: Jewish Historicism and Its Discontents: An Introduction 13 CHAPTER TWO: Hermann Cohen and the Problem of History at the Fin de Siecle 35 CHAPTER THREE: Franz Rosenzweig and the Rise of Theological Anti-Historicism 68 CHAPTER FOUR: Anti-Historicism and the Theological-Political Predicament in Weimar Germany: The Case of Leo Strauss 106 CHAPTER FIVE: Isaac Breuer and the Jewish Path to Metageschichte 130 CHAPTER SIX: From Conclusion to Opening: A Word on Influence, German Jews, and the Cultural History of Ideas 157 NOTES 173 BIBLIOGRAPHY 233 INDEX 251
