Short History of Jewish Ethics

A Short History of Jewish Ethics traces the development of Jewish moral concepts and ethical reflection from its Biblical roots to the present day.§Offers an engaging and thoughtful account of Jewish ethics§Brings together and discusses a broad range of historical sources covering two millennia of writings and conversations§Combines current scholarship with original insights§Written by a major internationally recognized scholar of Jewish philosophy and ethicsWhat exactly do we mean by "Jewish ethics"? A Short History of Jewish Ethics traces the development of Jewish moral concepts and ethical reflection from its origins in the Hebrew Bible through to the present day.§In this engaging and unique introduction, religious scholar Alan Mittleman explores Jewish moral concepts through Jewish historical sources, beginning with the Bible and then looking at the Hellenistic Jewish synthesis of biblical thought and Greek philosophy. He covers various types of rabbinic, medieval philosophical and popular pietistic literature, and modern Jewish thought, as well as traditional Jewish work on ethics in the modern period and a consideration of contemporary Jewish ethics. Mittleman contends that Jewish ethics is centrally concerned to reflect on the relationship between conduct and character, against the theological background of the concept of covenant. From Moses and Mendelssohn to modern figures such as Emmanuel Levinas, A Short History of Jewish Ethics offers fascinating insights into the evolution of the historical voices and writings that remain woven into the fabric of contemporary Jewish consciousness.