German Idealism and the Jew

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In German Idealism and the Jew, Michael Mack uncovers the deep roots of anti-Semitism within the German philosophical tradition. Contrary to viewing German anti-Semitism as merely a reaction to Enlightenment philosophy, Mack argues that redefining Jews as irrational, oriental Others is fundamental to German idealism, including Kant's notion of universal reason. He provides the first analytical account linking anti-Semitism and philosophy, starting with key figures in the German idealist tradition—Kant, Hegel, and later Feuerbach and Wagner. These thinkers suggested that humanity should embody the promises of an otherworldly heaven, yet their philosophies faltered on the belief that the worldly could not transform into this ideal. To address this conflict, Mack posits that philosophers constructed Jews as symbols of the "worldliness" obstructing the development of a body politic, serving as a contrast to Kantian autonomy and rationality. In the second part, Mack explores how thinkers like Moses Mendelssohn, Heinrich Heine, Franz Rosenzweig, and Freud navigated their identities as both German and Jewish. Each engaged with Kant and Hegel's philosophies while critiquing anti-Semitism, ultimately shaping a modern Jewish understanding of enlightenment that diverged significantly from their predecessors. By articulating the unspoken aspects of German philosophy, this work significantly reshapes our comprehension of the subject.