Jewish Philosophy as a Guide to Life: Rosenzweig, Buber, Levinas, Wittgenstein » (New Edition)

Hilary Putnam is Cogan University Professor in the Department of Philosophy, Emeritus, at Harvard University. His most recent books include Pragmatism: An Open Question, The Threefold Cord, Ethics without Ontology, and Words and Life.

Distinguished philosopher Hilary Putnam, who is also a practicing Jew, questions the thought of three major Jewish philosophers of the 20th century — Franz Rosenzweig, Martin Buber, and Emmanuel Levinas — to help him reconcile the philosophical and religious sides of his life. An additional presence in the book is Ludwig Wittgenstein, who, although not a practicing Jew, thought about religion in ways that Putnam juxtaposes to the views of Rosenzweig, Buber, and Levinas. Putnam explains the leading ideas of each of these great thinkers, bringing out what, in his opinion, constitutes the decisive intellectual and spiritual contributions of each of them. Although the religion discussed is Judaism, the depth and originality of these philosophers, as incisively interpreted by Putnam, make their thought nothing less than a guide to life.

First Things

In yoking Jewish thought to his efforts to give philosophy a human face, and in giving us glimpses of three men who helped shape a vibrant and beautiful form of Jewish thought, Hilary Putnam - to his profit, and to ours - has sided with Isaiah.

Introduction (Autobiographical) 1

1 Rosenzweig and Wittgenstein 9

2 Rosenzweig on Revelation and Romance 37

3 What I and Thou Is Really Saying 55

4 Levinas on What Is Demanded of Us 68

Afterword 100

Notes 109