Jewish thinkers of the 20th century. In search of redemption – Gershom Scholem (1897–1982)
Jewish thinkers of the 20th century. In search of redemption – Gershom Scholem (1897–1982)

Summary/Abstract: It is not easy to describe the place of twentieth-century Jewish thinkers in philosophy and world history as their contribution is immeasurable. It is also difficult to assess the significance of their work since many of them became fully assimilated with the countries in which they lived and adapted their mentality accordingly (e.g., Henri Bergson, Léon Brunschvicq, Georg Simmel, Ernst Cassirer, Jean Wahl, and Vladimir Jankélévitch). Jewish thinkers tried to think like Jews – as is manifestly evident in the personal elements of their work (e.g., Hermann Cohen), in the way in which they explained philosophical and universal problems (e.g., Martin Buber), and in their works that re-introduced Jewish and biblical metaphysics without formally relating it to Jewish thought (e.g., Franz Rosenzweig and Emmanuel Levinas). Some Jewish thinkers (e.g., Gershom Scholem) desperately sought salvation, strove to discover their identity, were shaken by the Shoa, and derived their thinking from religious and historical sources. The aim of the article is to present several selected issues of Scholem’s rich legacy devoted to Messianic thought, Hasidism, and Jewish mysticism, omitting his insightful reflections related to Kabbalistic thought.

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