RLST 210 Lecture Notes - Lecture 12: Moses Mendelssohn, Napoleon, Abraham Geiger
30 Sep 2016
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Enlightenment ideas: emphasis on reason and autonomy over tradition and authority, sought to articulate universal ideals, argues for human equality. Were able to argue that jews are people, just like everyone else: that they should have the same benefit of rights just like anyone else, emancipation: Beings under napolean bonaparte in 1791, spreads throughout europe. Jews are granted full citizenship and the same rights as all other citizens: they can vote, serve in military, move up in the work world, acceptance into culture. Why might there have been questions about jewish loyalty to the state: concerned that jewish loyalty wouldn"t be to one place because they don"t have a jewish homeland, they don"t believe in christianity (tensions between religions) The dreyfus affair: was serving in french military when charged with treason. Charged with treason on the basis of falsified documents. Acquitted after serving 5 years in jail (crime he didn"t commit: moses mendelssohn (famous german jewish thinker)
