This book explores the significance and enduring relevance of Judaic roots and sources of important European and Western moral and political ideas and ideals. The book focuses on the distinct character of Judaic thought concerning moral value, the individual human being, the nature of political order, relations between human beings, and between human beings and God. In doing so, it shows how Judaic thought contains crucial resources for engaging some of the most important issues of moral and political life. The currents of thought that have shaped the so-called ‘Judeo-Christian’ tradition invo ... More

This book explores the significance and enduring relevance of Judaic roots and sources of important European and Western moral and political ideas and ideals. The book focuses on the distinct character of Judaic thought concerning moral value, the individual human being, the nature of political order, relations between human beings, and between human beings and God. In doing so, it shows how Judaic thought contains crucial resources for engaging some of the most important issues of moral and political life. The currents of thought that have shaped the so-called ‘Judeo-Christian’ tradition involve diverse perspectives and emphases. The chapters in this volume bring into relief the distinctly Judaic origins of many of them and explicate how they remain valuable resources for moral and political thought. These are not about Jewish intellectual history; rather, their purpose is to clarify the conceptual resources, insights, and perspectives grounded in Judaic texts and thought. To realize that purpose the chapters address important topics in philosophical anthropology, exploring the normative dimensions of human nature and fundamental features of the human condition.