Language:
English
Year of publication:
1997
Titel der Quelle:
Shofar; an Interdisciplinary Journal of Jewish Studies
Angaben zur Quelle:
16,1 (1997) 85-100
Keywords:
Rozanov, V. V.
;
Antisemitism History 1800-2000
;
Antisemitism Philosophy
Abstract:
Rozanov's antisemitism, alternating at times with expressions of admiration for the Jews, baffled many scholars. Examining Rozanov's writings, attempts to explain what the Jews symbolized for him. Contends that Rozanov's "philosemitism" is all but illusory. The Jews served as an intellectual foil for Rozanov's views; they appeared as a result of his problems with Christian asceticism, the weakness of the Russian Church, and the Russian nation and state. The Jews are seen to be materialistic, possessing a lust for life and a collective spirit, aggressive, unbeatable, and power-hungry, and would therefore inevitably become world rulers. Russians, as Christians and Aryans, lack such qualities. Although Rozanov's view of the Jews was affected by actual events of the time (the Beilis trial, the revolution), the foremost reason for their appearance in his work is intellectual and rhetorical. The Jews play an essential role in his philosophical thinking; however, Rozanov stereotyped them and projected onto them his myth.
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