Description
The Jewish Social Contract begins by asking how a traditional Jew can participate politically and socially and in good faith in a modern democratic society, and ends by proposing a broad, inclusive notion of secularity.
David Novak takes issue with the view--held by the late philosopher John Rawls and his followers--that citizens of a liberal state must, in effect, check their religion at the door when discussing politics in a public forum. Novak argues that in a "liberal democratic state, members of faith-based communities--such as tradition-minded Jews and Christians--ought to be able to adhere to the broad political framework wholly in terms of their own religious tradition and convictions, and without setting their religion aside in the public sphere.
Novak shows how social contracts emerged, rooted in biblical notions of covenant, and how they developed in the rabbinic, medieval, and "modern periods. He offers suggestions as to how Jews today can best negotiate the modern social contract while calling upon non-Jewish allies to aid them in the process. The Jewish Social Contract will prove an enlightening and innovative contribution to the ongoing debate about the role of religion in liberal democracies.
Chapter
Claims for Cultural Autonomy
Claims for Cultural Autonomy
Chapter Two: The Covenant
Chapter Two: The Covenant
Covenant and Social Contract
Covenant and Social Contract
Divine Interest in the Covenant
Divine Interest in the Covenant
The Covenant between God and Israel
The Covenant between God and Israel
Covenants between Jews and Gentiles
Covenants between Jews and Gentiles
Contracts: Social and Private
Contracts: Social and Private
Chapter Three: The Covenant Reaffirmed
Chapter Three: The Covenant Reaffirmed
Some Social Contracts within Judaism
Some Social Contracts within Judaism
Chapter Four: The Law of the State
Chapter Four: The Law of the State
Secularity and Secularism
Secularity and Secularism
Chapter Five: Kingship and Secularity
Chapter Five: Kingship and Secularity
Ibn Adret’s Halakhic Answer
Ibn Adret’s Halakhic Answer
Gerondi’s Theological Answer
Gerondi’s Theological Answer
Abravanel’s Philosophical Answer
Abravanel’s Philosophical Answer
Chapter Six: Modern Secularity
Chapter Six: Modern Secularity
Baruch Spinoza: Covenant as Social Contract
Baruch Spinoza: Covenant as Social Contract
Moses Mendelssohn: Judaism as a Religious Denomination
Moses Mendelssohn: Judaism as a Religious Denomination
Religious Pluralism in a Secular State
Religious Pluralism in a Secular State
Traditional Judaism Continued in the Secular State
Traditional Judaism Continued in the Secular State
Mendelssohn’s Problematic Legacy for Judaism
Mendelssohn’s Problematic Legacy for Judaism
Chapter Seven: The Social Contract and Jewish-Christian Relations
Chapter Seven: The Social Contract and Jewish-Christian Relations
The New Jewish-Christian Situation
The New Jewish-Christian Situation
Beyond Liberalism and Conservatism
Beyond Liberalism and Conservatism
Jews, Christians, Atheists, and Secularists
Jews, Christians, Atheists, and Secularists
Chapter Eight: The Jewish Social Contract in Secular Public Policy
Chapter Eight: The Jewish Social Contract in Secular Public Policy
Jews, Judaism, and Public Policy
Jews, Judaism, and Public Policy
Criteria for Jewish Public Policy
Criteria for Jewish Public Policy
Jewish Suspicions of General Morality
Jewish Suspicions of General Morality
The Unavoidability of General Morality
The Unavoidability of General Morality
The Political Argument for the Social Contract
The Political Argument for the Social Contract
Jewish Self-Interest and Political Alliances
Jewish Self-Interest and Political Alliances