The Right to Difference

French Universalism and the Jews

Nonfiction, Religion & Spirituality, Judaism, History, France
Cover of the book The Right to Difference by Maurice Samuels, University of Chicago Press
View on Amazon View on AbeBooks View on Kobo View on B.Depository View on eBay View on Walmart
Author: Maurice Samuels ISBN: 9780226399324
Publisher: University of Chicago Press Publication: November 2, 2016
Imprint: University of Chicago Press Language: English
Author: Maurice Samuels
ISBN: 9780226399324
Publisher: University of Chicago Press
Publication: November 2, 2016
Imprint: University of Chicago Press
Language: English

Universal equality is a treasured political concept in France, but recent anxiety over the country’s Muslim minority has led to an emphasis on a new form of universalism, one promoting loyalty to the nation at the expense of all ethnic and religious affiliations. This timely book offers a fresh perspective on the debate by showing that French equality has not always demanded an erasure of differences. Through close and contextualized readings of the way that major novelists, philosophers, filmmakers, and political figures have struggled with the question of integrating Jews into French society, Maurice Samuels draws lessons about how the French have often understood the universal in relation to the particular.

Samuels demonstrates that Jewish difference has always been essential to the elaboration of French universalism, whether as its foil or as proof of its reach. He traces the development of this discourse through key moments in French history, from debates over granting Jews civil rights during the Revolution, through the Dreyfus Affair and Vichy, and up to the rise of a “new antisemitism” in recent years. By recovering the forgotten history of a more open, pluralistic form of French universalism, Samuels points toward new ways of moving beyond current ethnic and religious dilemmas and argues for a more inclusive view of what constitutes political discourse in France.

View on Amazon View on AbeBooks View on Kobo View on B.Depository View on eBay View on Walmart

Universal equality is a treasured political concept in France, but recent anxiety over the country’s Muslim minority has led to an emphasis on a new form of universalism, one promoting loyalty to the nation at the expense of all ethnic and religious affiliations. This timely book offers a fresh perspective on the debate by showing that French equality has not always demanded an erasure of differences. Through close and contextualized readings of the way that major novelists, philosophers, filmmakers, and political figures have struggled with the question of integrating Jews into French society, Maurice Samuels draws lessons about how the French have often understood the universal in relation to the particular.

Samuels demonstrates that Jewish difference has always been essential to the elaboration of French universalism, whether as its foil or as proof of its reach. He traces the development of this discourse through key moments in French history, from debates over granting Jews civil rights during the Revolution, through the Dreyfus Affair and Vichy, and up to the rise of a “new antisemitism” in recent years. By recovering the forgotten history of a more open, pluralistic form of French universalism, Samuels points toward new ways of moving beyond current ethnic and religious dilemmas and argues for a more inclusive view of what constitutes political discourse in France.

More books from University of Chicago Press

Cover of the book The Art of Backscratching in Chicago by Maurice Samuels
Cover of the book Dispatches from Dystopia by Maurice Samuels
Cover of the book Baroque Science by Maurice Samuels
Cover of the book The Government of Desire by Maurice Samuels
Cover of the book Murder by Accident by Maurice Samuels
Cover of the book The Death Penalty, Volume I by Maurice Samuels
Cover of the book All the World's a Fair by Maurice Samuels
Cover of the book Of Beards and Men by Maurice Samuels
Cover of the book Warhol's Working Class by Maurice Samuels
Cover of the book Biotechnology and Society by Maurice Samuels
Cover of the book The Red Atlas by Maurice Samuels
Cover of the book The Global Pigeon by Maurice Samuels
Cover of the book When Words Lose Their Meaning by Maurice Samuels
Cover of the book Document Raj by Maurice Samuels
Cover of the book The Increasingly United States by Maurice Samuels
We use our own "cookies" and third party cookies to improve services and to see statistical information. By using this website, you agree to our Privacy Policy