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.
General
Imprint: |
University of Chicago Press
|
Country of origin: |
United States |
Release date: |
August 2019 |
Authors: |
Maurice Samuels
|
Dimensions: |
229 x 152 x 23mm (L x W x T) |
Format: |
Paperback
|
Pages: |
264 |
ISBN-13: |
978-0-226-67732-3 |
Categories: |
Books
|
LSN: |
0-226-67732-X |
Barcode: |
9780226677323 |
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