This image is the cover for the book Hebrew Impact on Western Civilization

Hebrew Impact on Western Civilization

This wide-ranging anthology examines the enduring cultural impact of the Jewish people and their many contributions to the creation of modern society.

Edited by philosopher and intellectual historian Dagobert D. Runes, The Hebrew Impact on Western Civilization is a scholarly and authoritative account of the many spheres in which the Jews have impacted Western civilization. A diverse collection of eminent scholars consider how the Jews altered the course of the contemporary world and helped raise the standard of human values.

William B. Ziff’s “The Jew as Soldier, Strategist and Military Adviser” delineates the successes of Jewish military forces throughout history. Dr. Abraham I. Katsh discusses the “Hebraic Foundations of American Democracy,” noting the influence of Hebrew Scriptures on standards of conduct in western civilization. These and other essays offer a fascinating and expansive look at the far-reaching impact Jews have had on Western life.

Dagobert D. Runes

Dagobert D. Runes was born in Zastavna, Bukovina, Austria-Hungary (now in Ukraine), and received a doctorate in philosophy from the University of Vienna in 1924. In 1926 he emigrated to the United States, where he became editor of the Modern Thinker and later Current Digest. From 1931 to 1934 he was director of the Institute for Advanced Education in New York City, and in 1941 he founded the Philosophical Library, a spiritual organization and publishing house.

Runes published an English translation of Karl Marx’s On the Jewish Question under the title A World Without Jews, featuring an introduction that was clearly antagonistic to extreme Marxism and “its materialism,” yet he did not entirely negate Marxist theory. He also edited several works presenting the ideas and history of philosophy to a general audience, including his Dictionary of Philosophy.

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