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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... genetic mechanisms based on kin recognition as an explanation for xenophobia , al- though others have proposed that the genetic mechanism may well depend on learning during development ( e.g. , Alexander 1979 , 126–128 ) . Genetic ...
... genetic ancestry of individuals within its purview . I suggest that the concern with genealogy exhibited by the Inquisition was motivated by two reasons . First , there is excellent evidence for the existence of a group of New ...
... genetic gradient between Jewish and gentile populations . The social identity theory of anti - Semitism implies that the dynamic of ingroup / outgroup relationships is independent of genetic differences between populations . In the case ...
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 |