The Jew, the Arab - (Cultural Memory in the Present) by Gil Anidjar (Paperback)

About the Book

This book argues that in "Christian Europe," the question of the enemy has for millennia been structured by the historical relation of Europe to both Arab and Jew. It provides a philosophical understanding of the background of the current conflict in the Middle East.

Book Synopsis

This book argues that in "Christian Europe," the question of the enemy has for millennia been structured by the historical relation of Europe to both Arab and Jew. It provides a philosophical understanding of the background of the current conflict in the Middle East.

From the Back Cover

"In this unique, original, and breathtakingly new work, Anidjar follows the figure of the enemy, as it informs arguments in many discursive areas: literature and philosophy to be sure, but also politics, theology, the constructions of race and ethnicity, history, etc. By showing in what ways the figure of the enemy is intertwined with construction of the Jew, the Arab, the Moslem, the Christian, the European, Anidjar continually challenges the reader to rethink concepts of and habitus related to the concept of enemy. Each chapter consists of cogent analyses, an illustration of relations among works and fields, and insightful remarks." --Lawrence R. Schehr, University of Illinois

About the Author

Gil Anidjar is Associate Professor in the Department of Middle East and Asian Languages and Cultures at Columbia University. He is the author of "Our Place in Al-Andalus" Kabbalah, Philosophy, Literature in Arab Jewish Letters (Stanford, 2002).