Power and Transcendence: Hans J. Morgenthau and the Jewish Experience

Once considered a one-dimensional advocate of pure realpolitik, revisionist work on the legacy of Hans Morgenthau has uncovered transcendent themes in his thought on the importance of morality in statecraft. Bridging the gap in existing literature, M. Benjamin Mollov's important work brings new understanding of the very real impact which anti-semitism and Morgenthau's own German-Jewish moral and spiritual heritage had on his political thought. A liberal rather than a classical realist, Morgenthau's writing and teaching on issues ranging from Soviet Jewry to Israel, nuclear proliferation, and the Vietnam War reveal a moral, philosophical, even spiritual, approach to the 'mission' of political science. This is an important work for students of political science and international relations seeking a greater understanding of the very real impact of religion on the makers of Cold War foreign policy.

Table of Contents:
Chapter 1 Hans J. Morgenthau and the Classical Realist Tradition: A New Look Chapter 2 Truth and Transcendence Chapter 3 The Impact of the Jewish Experience Chapter 4 U.S.-Soviet Relations and the Struggle for Soviet Jewry Chapter 5 Vietnam, the Middle East, and Israeli Security Chapter 6 Toward a Jewish Perspective on International Politics

About the Author :
M. Benjamin Mollov is Lecturer in Political Science at Bar Ilan University.

Review :
It has been said that religion and ethics are the missing dimensions of international affairs. This book captures those dimensions in the life and work of the preeminent international relations theorist of the twentieth century, Hans J. Morgenthau. As a proponent of realism and power politics, Morgenthau might seem an unlikely source on the subject of morality. Yet Mollov shows Morgenthau's considerable moral aspirations arising from his intellectual formation and religious experience. This is an invaluable contribution to political philosophy and international studies. Benjamin Mollov fills a gap in the growing literature on Hans J. Morgenthau's political thought by providing an invaluable inquiry into the Jewish aspects of Morgenthau's life and the religious roots of his worldview. Mollov also succeeds in uncovering profound ethical and philosophical dimensions behind the theoretical perspective of realism in international studies. Ben Mollov has made a seminal contribution. . . . [His book] should open the eyes of anyone still clinging to a mistaken one-dimensional portrait of Morgenthau's ideas, and help cement Morgenthau's reputation as one of the leading political thinkers of the twentieth century. While Hans J. Morgenthau turned late in life to an interest in the state of Israel, his concern with religious experience was life long. His relations with thousands of his students, friendship with Reinhold Niebuhr, and writings of statesmen such as Lincoln, throw light on the depth of his commitment. Ben Mollov's pioneering study Power and Transcendence examines in depth his commitment to the Jewish experience and will be a source for years to come.