The Pillars: Jerusalem, Athens, and the Western Mind

In North America and the Caribbean, England's colonies would set the tone for political, religious, and colonial life. As we continue our survey of the New World, we'll answer the following questions: Why was tobacco hold the key to success for the English colony of Jamestown?  Why did Maryland have a bicameral legislature? Why did the colony of New York retain a majority Dutch population even aft...

When Columbus set sail in 1492, he could not have imagined how the world would change from his voyage. To begin our journey to the New World, we'll take a look at the following questions: What enabled Spain to claim so much of the New World as part of its empire? What was the original impetus for the French to establish colonies in the West Indies? In an era of ever-expanding understandings of hum...

Goethe is widely regarded as one of the greatest and most influential German-language writers. As we survey his life and works, we'll address the following questions: Why is Goethe viewed as something of a Romantic outside of Germany but as a pure classicist within Germany?  In what sense was Goethe the last true Renaissance man? Why is the difficulty of translating Goethe a reflection of his skil...

Two of the most important figures in late eighteenth-century Britain were Edmund Burke and Samuel Johnson. As we learn about their points of agreement and contention, we'll touch on the following questions: Why was Burke in favor of reconciling with the American colonies, which was against popular opinion in England?  In contrast to Burke, why did Johnson argue in favor of virtual representation f...

One of the most celebrated military figures in recent history is Napoleon Bonaparte, yet he has something of a mixed legacy. To unpack that legacy, we'll explore the following questions: How did Napoleon, who conducted himself as an enlightened despot, also try to reanimate history? What was Napoleon's political goal in conquering Europe? How did the Jews relate to Napoleon and respond to his conq...

The French Revolution was a series of cascading events that would upend the world of modern politics. On today's episode, we'll address the following questions: What led the Third Estate to insist that the Estates General meet as a national assembly rather than each estate on its own, as had been done previously? Why did the ideas of the Revolution disrupt the belief structures of the church of Fr...

Utilitarianism was one product of the Enlightenment, but so was Romanticism. As we begin to unpack these topics, Rabbi Rocklin will answer the following questions: Why did Bentham argue in favor of uncapped interest rates even if it would not be good for individuals? How do Bentham's final wishes—for his body to be dissected and his skeleton put on display—demonstrate the limits of the Enlightenme...

The Biblical underpinnings of Judaism give us some important insights into modern economics. To help us explore the topic, we'll address the following questions: In what sense can general economic productivity be understood as Biblical? Why did the Dutch currency become the world's first reserve currency?  How can the Biblical covenant be seen as the animating spirit behind the Dutch, British, and...

Immanuel Kant is widely regarded as the greatest of the Enlightenment philosophers. Today, we'll learn more about him and address the following questions: How did Kant's Protestant background influence his approach to philosophy? In what way did Kant influence the Romantic era? Why did Kant reject Judaism as irrational? If you are interested in sponsoring an episode of The Pillars , we invite you...

The Scottish Enlightenment was markedly different than the Enlightenment on the European continent. To help us explore this topic, we'll take a look at the following questions: How did David Hume influence the way in which history is recounted? Why would later philosophers see Hume as more reasonable than his French and German counterparts?  Why was post-Enlightenment Britain more open to organize...

One of the most intriguing philosophers of the Enlightenment was Jean-Jacques Rousseau. As we learn about his assertions and contradictions, Rabbi Rocklin will touch on the following questions: In what sense is Rousseau at least partly responsible for the invention of the child? According to Rousseau, why is society fundamental to the individual?  How can Rousseau, an Enlightenment thinker, be con...

The French Enlightenment was a time of upheaval, and its main philosophers espoused ideas that challenged the traditional social and religious order. To unpack that concept, we'll explore the following questions: How does Voltaire's perspective on human redemption reflect Enlightenment philosophy? Why did Diderot expect his encyclopedia to be criticized? How does the Marquis de Condorcet help secu...

Richardson, Fielding, and Sterne can be considered responsible for the novel as we recognize it today. On today's episode, we'll uncover answers to the following questions: How does Samuel Richardson's Pamela try to bridge the gap between human reason and sentiment? In what way does Henry Fielding's use of satire help portray the inherent goodness in people? How does Laurence Sterne convey the ric...

The first real criticism of the Enlightenment can be found in Jonathan Swift's satirical novel Gulliver's Travels . While we survey the book, we'll address the following questions: How does Swift's emphasis on human character critique the Enlightenment notion of homo universalis? In what way does Gulliver's Travels argue that man is not nearly as rational as Enlightenment philosophers have presume...

Daniel Defoe's Enlightenment experiment continues in the second half of Robinson Crusoe . As we continue our survey, we'll answer the following questions: How does the novel reflect the Enlightenment view of progress as vital for the development of human civilization? Why is there a notable lack of women throughout Robinson Crusoe? In what sense can the novel be considered an updated, Enlightenmen...

Daniel Defoe will put Enlightenment thought to the test in his novel Robinson Crusoe. To help us explore the book, Rabbi Rocklin will answer the following questions: How does Robinson Crusoe develop a rational response to the question of how man should respond to suffering? Why do Crusoe's labors on his island occupy a central role in the narrative? In what sense can Crusoe's religious experience...

John Locke will take a different approach to society and government than Hobbes, one which will eventually be very important to the United States. As we dive deeper into the topic, we'll address the following questions: How does Locke's perspective on the state of nature inform his divergence from Hobbes in their respective views on sovereignty? How does Locke come to the conclusion that the indiv...

Thomas Hobbes will redefine the way we understand both government and society. Today, Rabbi Rocklin will help us answer the following questions: Why did Hobbes dispense with the Medieval notion of customary rights? According to Hobbes, why is the role of the sovereign to ensure the security of the people? In was sense did Hobbes break from the ancient understanding that government was natural and...

As the Enlightenment expanded to different areas of Europe, thinkers continued to focus on the liberty of the individual. As we continue our exploration of this era, Rabbi Rocklin will address the following questions: Why was John Locke's view on property important in the development of the Enlightenment? How did Enlightenment philosophy create conditions for Jews to be able to assimilate into soc...

Western thought will begin to shift towards universal laws and individual rights with the advent of the Enlightenment. As we unpack that idea, we'll address the following questions: In what way was the notion of progress emphasized in the Enlightenment? Why did Enlightenment thinkers begin to see all human beings as fundamentally the same? How did the Enlightenment lead to the notion that the purp...

Out of the seventeenth century would emerge two of France's greatest playwrights: Moliere and Racine. To help us learn more about them, we'll address the following questions: How did French Neoclassicism develop in response to the political tension between France and Spain? In what sense did the Neoclassical spirit inspire French drama and distinguish it from English drama? Was Moliere truly the r...

The work of the major seventeenth century Christian Hebraists led to important advances in the development of the individual. As we learn more about this topic, we'll address the following questions: How does Milton's knowledge of Midrash support his retelling of the Biblical stories in Paradise Lost? In what sense were Milton's views on marriage and divorce informed by his love of the individual?...

The great poets of the seventeenth century are noteworthy in their innovations in engaging with earlier literature to promote their own ideas. As we explore why they are still relevant, we'll also answer the following questions: How did John Donne's love poems reflect the inward shift from the Middle Ages to the Renaissance? What was particularly innovative about John Dryden's translation of Virgi...

Many people know about Isaac Newton and his proverbial apple, but he and his contemporary, Leibniz, were responsible for a much wider array of scientific and mathematical advances. As we learn about these two thinkers, Rabbi Rocklin will help us answer the following questions: How did Isaac Newton build on the newer tradition of inductive reasoning rather than the older, scholastic method of assum...

There are some figures of the Scientific Revolution who stand out in the annals of history. As we study a few of those monumental figures, we'll explore the following questions: Why did Copernicus dedicate his scientific book, On the Revolutions, to the pope? How did Galileo mount a religious defense of Copernicus' heliocentric model of the solar system? According to Bacon, in what sense did logic...