The Jewish Ethical Tradition in the Modern University *

Abstract

Here proposed is an interpretation of pluralism and multiculturalism that separates these concepts from the notion of relativism. David Novak sees multiculturalism as a promising context for exploring human nature and discovering or affirming certain truths about it. He asserts that the inclusion of formerly excluded cultural traditions such as Judaism in the universities of North America has been been a give-and-take enterprise, benefiting both tradition and university.

The Jewish ethical tradition was absent from medieval universities, as were Jews themselves—universities had their beginnings as theological seminaries in a totally Christian society and culture. Only with the rise of the nation-state and the modern secularized university was there any attention to Judaism, usually treated as part of someone else's history, e.g., “Ancient Middle East.” It wasn't until the 1960s that the advent of multiculturalism led to an opening for Jewish Studies. The author believes that the best hope for university and society is the move toward interculturalism, which he sees happening in Canada. The intercultural society is one in which a moral consensus might be reached “by rational discussion of the approaches of a variety of cultures.”

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