It is through the original scene of Judaism, at the very heart of its founding principle – that by which the Divine Name invests the world, then withdraws to give the “second creature” its chance – that Judaism and the Spirit of the World invites us to penetrate the founding epic of our history. In the course of this discovery, Shmuel Trigano re-experiences the meaning of Judaism, its founding intellectual gesture, illuminating its multiple expressions as well as its most contemporary aspects. Far from being confined to Antiquity, Judaism continues to make its presence felt in all aspects of collective and individual existence: religion, politics, morals and history, the four books that make up this work. From Talmudic law to Israel’s political existence, from Mosaic institutions to the structuring of modern society, from the Apostle Paul to Karl Marx, Judaism structures its place in history, a place whose relevance is undeniable.
Through the force of its subject and the ambition of its purpose, Le Judaïsme et l’Esprit du monde stands out as an outstanding work, among the great books of contemporary thought.