Separation and Its Discontents: Toward an Evolutionary Theory of Anti-Semitism
Particular attention is paid to three major manifestations of Western anti-Semitism: the development of institutionalized anti-Semitism in the Roman Empire, the Iberian Inquisitions, and the phenomenon of Nazism. All of these movements exhibited a powerful gentile group cohesion in opposition to Judaism as a group strategy, and MacDonald argues that each may be analyzed as a reaction to the presence of Judaism as a highly successful group evolutionary strategy. Because of the repeated occurrence of anti-Semitism, Jews have developed a highly flexible array of strategies to minimize its effects. These include: crypsis during periods of persecution, controls on Jewish behavior likely to lead to anti-Semitism, and the manipulation of gentile attitudes toward Jews. This controversial work challenges prevailing views. Students and scholars involved with evolutionary approaches to human behavior and Jewish Studies will be interested, as will social scientists and historians in general. |
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... economic downturns tend to be associated with increases in anti - Semitism , while eco- nomic prosperity is ... Jewish economic activity ( e.g. , in early modern Venice [ Pullan 1983 ] ) . In addition , there has been a relative lack of ...
... Jews were increasingly entering the imperial and municipal service in the 4th century until being excluded from these occupations in the 5th century - an aspect of the wide range of economic , social , and legal prohibitions on Jews ...
... Jewish economic and cultural prosperity in medieval Europe was at its peak ( Cohen 1982 , 15 ) . The rise of the ... Jewish society in Northern Europe underwent a demographic and economic upsurge during this period , in concert with ...
Contents
THEMES OF ANTISEMITISM | 27 |
REACTIVE ANTISEMITISM IN | 89 |
THE MEDIEVAL PERIOD | 115 |
Copyright | |
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Separation and Its Discontents: Toward an Evolutionary Theory of Anti-Semitism Kevin MacDonald No preview available - 2003 |
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Evolutionary Perspectives on Human Development Robert G. Burgess,Kevin MacDonald Limited preview - 2005 |