This image is the cover for the book Of God the Devil and the Jews

Of God the Devil and the Jews

The noted philosopher shares a far-ranging meditation on the necessity of faith and the many misuses of religion through history.

In this volume, Dagobert D. Runes illuminates the history of Western culture in the light of Christian ethics. By exposing the lies and contradictions of the self-proclaimed followers and defenders of faith, he presents a profound indictment of the Western world, and a call to act in accord with our professed ideals. Speaking from his deep knowledge of history as well as religious and philosophical thought, Runes weaves a personal testament that is both emotionally powerful and intellectually rigorous.

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.

Philosophical Library/Open Road Media