Studies in Religion and Philosophy: Modern Jewish Philosophy and Theology

This course focuses on four major modern Jewish philosophers: Hermann Cohen, Franz Rosenzweig, Leo Strauss, and Emmanuel Levinas, with particular attention to their relations to Kant and Heidegger. Among the topics considered are: What is the relation between Jewish philosophy, theology, and thought? Can or ought we speak of a canon of modern Jewish philosophy? What constitutes the borders or limits of a tradition of thinking? What is the relation between historical and conceptual analysis in thinking about Jewish philosophy within the history of philosophy?