- Jacob Talmon
Jacob Leib Talmon (1916-1980) was an
Orthodox Jew ish Professor of Modern History at theHebrew University of Jerusalem . He has been categorised as a 'Cold War liberal ' because of his devoutanti-Marxism which permeates his main works.He notably studied the
genealogy oftotalitarianism arguing that such politicalMessianism stemmed from theFrench Revolution , and stressed the similarities betweenJacobinism andStalinism . He coined the terms "Totalitarian Democracy " and "Political Messianism ".Talmon was born in Rypin, town in central Poland, into an orthodox
Jewish family. He left in 1934 to study at the Hebrew University inJerusalem , then in theBritish Mandate of Palestine , nowIsrael . He continued his studies in France but left for London after the Nazi invasion; in 1943 he was awarded aPhD from theLondon School of Economics .He received the
Israel Prize in 1957. His main works are "The Origins of Totalitarian Democracy " and "". Talmon argued thatRousseau 's position may best be understood as "totalitarian democracy "; that is, as a philosophy in which liberty is realized "only in the pursuit and attainment of an absolute collective purpose."Major works
*The Origins of Totalitarian Democracy, 1952
*The Nature of Jewish History-Its Universal Significance, 1957
*Political Messianism - The Romantic Phase, 1960
*The Unique and The Universal, 1965
*Romanticism and Revolt, 1967
*Israel among the Nations, 1968
*The Age of Violence, 1974
*The Myth of Nation and Vision of Revolution, The Origins of Ideological Polarization in the 20th Century, 1981
*The Riddle of the Present and the Cunning of History 2000 (Hebrew, p.m.)ee also
*
Totalitarian democracy External links
* [http://www.coloradocollege.edu/Dept/PS/Finley/PS425/reading/Talmon.html Excerpts from "The Origins of Totalitarian Democracy"] , (London: Secker and Warburg, 1955), Intro, Part I, Part II and Conclusion
* [http://users.cyberone.com.au/myers/correctness.html On The Origins of Totalitarian Democracy]
* [http://users.cyberone.com.au/myers/talmon.html Israel Among The Nations] , Weidenfeld and Nicolson, London 1970
* [http://users.cyberone.com.au/myers/talmon2.html The Unique and the Universal] , Secker & Warburg, London 1965
* [http://www.fmep.org/analysis/articles/prophetic_message.html Excerpts from an "Open Letter to Prime Minister Begin Urging Israel's withdrawal from the Occupied Territories and Warning of a Future Disaster", 1980]
* [http://www.nybooks.com/articles/9681 Two Statements on the Mid-East War] , 1973* Arie Dubnuv, 'A tale of trees and crooked timbers: Jacob Talmon and Isaiah Berlin on the question of Jewish Nationalism', History of European Ideas, Vol. 34, No. 2http://mosse.huji.ac.il/files/Dubnov_A_tale_of_trees_and_crooked_timbers.pdf
* Arie Dubnuv, 'Priest or Jester? Jacob L. Talmon (1916-1980) on History and Intellectual engagement (Introduction essay)', History of European Ideas, Vol. 34, No. 2http://mosse.huji.ac.il/files/Arie_Dubnov_INTRO-Priest_or_Jester.pdfPersondata
NAME=Talmon, Jacob Leib
ALTERNATIVE NAMES=
SHORT DESCRIPTION=Polish-born Israeli historian; Professor of Modern History; studied Cold War and totalitarianism; anti-Marxist
DATE OF BIRTH=1916
PLACE OF BIRTH=Poland
DATE OF DEATH=1980
PLACE OF DEATH=Israel
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