A Jewish Philosopher Asks Other Jewish Philosophers to Reflect on Their Judaism and Philosophy

Philosopher David Boonin (University of Colorado Boulder) is inviting other Jewish philosophers to contribute to a collection of writings he’s putting together. [The seder dinner scene from “Crimes and Misdemeanors” (1989)]The idea is to ask philosophers who are Jewish, regardless of whether they consider themselves practicing or observant Jews, to reflect on the ways their Jewish background may have influenced their lives as philosophers. Professor Boonin writes: Many years ago, I was invited to have dinner with some Jewish undergraduates as part of a Hillel program in which Jewish faculty came and talked about how their Jewish background had influenced their professional development. I initially declined the invitation and explained that I wouldn’t have anything to say because I don’t teach or write about Jewish philosophy. But the Hillel people encouraged me to think about it a bit more before making a final decision and I was glad I did. Among other things, I remember thinking…