Hermann Cohen and the Crisis of Liberalism

<p>Hermann Cohen (1842-1918) is often held to be one of the most important Jewish philosophers of the nineteenth century. Paul E. Nahme in this new consideration of Cohen liberalism and religion emphasizes the idea of enchantment or the faith in and commitment to ideas reason and critique--the animating spirits that move society forward. Nahme views Cohen through the lenses of the crises of Imperial Germany--the rise of antisemitism nationalism and secularization--to come to a greater understanding of liberalism its Protestant and Jewish roots and the spirits of modernity and tradition that form its foundation. Nahme's philosophical and historical retelling of the story of Cohen and his spiritual investment in liberal theology present a strong argument for religious pluralism and public reason in a world rife with populism identity politics and conspiracy theories.</p>