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| Why are American Jews Liberal? A Eudaimonic Perspective | |
| 2024-10-07 | |
| Because they (as most Westerners) live in a fantasy world? [IsraelNationalNews] Much has been written about why American Jews tend to be politically liberal, with reasons often citing Biblical-prophetic ethics, minority status, memories of right-wing persecution, atavistic empathy with the oppressed, and even "habit." While these explanations are valid and significant, they fail to address the core reason why American Jews, especially secular ones, find it harder to adopt a right-wing, conservative worldview without compromising their sense of happiness and fulfillment. Liberals generally perceive human beings as tabula rasa—a blank slate—whose inherent goodness and altruism are corrupted by social injustice, ignorance, and material deprivation. Conservatives, by contrast, take a far less optimistic view: they tend to assume that human beings are inherently selfish and prone to vice and violence unless restrained by societal structures. (interestingly, the Bible agrees with them in Genesis 8,saying that "man's heart is evil from his youth.") In essence, liberals believe that compassion, liberal education, freedom, and material security enable human flourishing. Conservatives, on the other hand, maintain that our selfish nature is best controlled through incentives and deterrents. This philosophical divide underpins two contrasting worldviews: one that justifies a more generous welfare state and lenient criminal justice system, and the other that vindicates capitalism and strict law-and-order policies. Given that American Jews are generally better-off socioeconomically and are more deeply affected by lawlessness, one might expect them to gravitate towards conservatism. Yet relatively few do. Even those who cast conservative votes often do so with reservations, lacking the enthusiasm of coreligionists embracing liberal causes. So, what explains this apparent contradiction? Western conservatism aligns with a historical narrative that primarily vindicates a rural white Christian worldview. But this narrative offers Jews a bleak and disheartening interpretation of history, particularly of Jewish history and the antisemitism that plagues it. A liberal worldview traditionally frames antisemitism as a temporary byproduct of ignorance and social injustice—flaws that can be corrected through education, tolerance, and equity, (although today's progressive and woke liberal ideology have made that framing questionable when it comes to antisemitism). According to the conservative view, however, antisemitism is neither temporary nor easily remedied; it is a persistent feature of human nature, naturally inclined toward envy, selfishness, and pettiness. Anti-Semitism is a form xenophobia, and xenophobia is a survival instinct. For Jews, this right-wing interpretation of history and human nature undermines the ethos of tikkun olam
This grim outlook can push secular conservative Jews to distance themselves from their ancestral identity. A notable example is Henry Kissinger, who, despite being a refugee from Nazi Germany, downplayed his Jewish heritage throughout his career. Similarly, Nigel Lawson, the architect of Margaret Thatcher’s economic reforms, also chose to minimize his connection to Judaism. The rest of this is an ad for orthodox Judaism - up to you. | |
| Posted by:Grom the Reflective |
| #1 In contrast the Jewish state at this moment is the Western polity least afflicted by what Gad Saad is calling "suicidal empathy." |
| Posted by: Elmerert Hupens2660 2024-10-07 12:58 |