JWC3040 - Judaism and Modernity

Leader: Nathan Wolski and Michael Fagenblatt

Offered

Not offered in 2007

Synopsis

This survey course examines literary, philosophical and historical fragments which encapsulate the encounter between Judaism and modernity. It begins with an examination of the influence of Kabbalah on several modern Jewish writers such as Franz Kafka, Walter Benjamin and Harold Bloom. It then investigates the exchange between Jewish philosophy and contemporary Western philosophy through the works of Martin Buber and Emmanuel Levinas. Finally, the impact of the Holocaust upon Jewish and Western thought will be looked at through the philosophy of Emil Fackenheim.

Assessment

Essay (2000 words): 44%
Tutorial presentation (500 words): 12%
Examination (2 hours): 44%
Third-year students will be expected to make use of a broader range of primary sources in their research essay and tutorial presentation.

Contact hours

1 x 2 hour lecture per week and 1 x 1 hour tutorial per fortnight

Prohibitions

JWC2040, CLS2045, CLS3045