Out of the In-Between: Moses Mendelssohn and Martin Buber's German Jewish Philosophy of Encounter, Singularity, and Aesthetics

Simple item page
dc.contributor.advisorKripal, Jeffrey J.en_US
dc.contributor.committeeMemberStroup, John M.en_US
dc.contributor.committeeMemberEngelhardt, H. Tristram, Jr.en_US
dc.contributor.committeeMemberWolfson, Elliot Ren_US
dc.creatorAtlas, Dustinen_US
dc.date.accessioned2014-08-04T19:21:35Zen_US
dc.date.available2014-08-04T19:21:35Zen_US
dc.date.created2013-12en_US
dc.date.issued2013-10-04en_US
dc.date.submittedDecember 2013en_US
dc.date.updated2014-08-04T19:21:35Zen_US
dc.description.abstractThis dissertation seeks to clarify and articulate a trajectory in Germanic Jewish thought, beginning with the work of Moses Mendelssohn and ending with Martin Buber; the two concepts mapped by this trajectory are the in-between [zwischen] and singularity [die Singularität]. These ideas are developed in light of their philosophical context, and brought into dialogue with contemporary thought. Singularities are individuals that are not particulars, meaning: not particular instantiations of either a general or universal concept. Singularities cannot be grasped in terms of their differences and similarities to other things. Singularity is what makes something what it is, independent of its predicates or containment in a universal. The in-between is the ontological space that allows for an encounter between singularities, such that this encounter helps constitute the singularities meeting. In this sense, the in-between is the chief conceptual support of the idea of singularity. Because singularities are autonomous and cannot be defined by their differences from other singularities, the space where singularities encounter each other cannot be thought of as a container without transforming the singulars into particulars. This dissertation takes the modest goal of formalizing and clarifying these concepts, preparing the concepts of the in-between and singularity such that they can one day be used in the study of religion. I suggest that these concepts are useful insofar as they allow us to take a middle path between theology and reductive analysis, viewing the transcendent claims of religions in a manner that is at once sympathetic and critical.en_US
dc.format.mimetypeapplication/pdfen_US
dc.identifier.citationAtlas, Dustin. "Out of the In-Between: Moses Mendelssohn and Martin Buber's German Jewish Philosophy of Encounter, Singularity, and Aesthetics." (2013) Diss., Rice University. <a href="https://hdl.handle.net/1911/76335">https://hdl.handle.net/1911/76335</a>.en_US
dc.identifier.urihttps://hdl.handle.net/1911/76335en_US
dc.language.isoengen_US
dc.rightsCopyright is held by the author, unless otherwise indicated. Permission to reuse, publish, or reproduce the work beyond the bounds of fair use or other exemptions to copyright law must be obtained from the copyright holder.en_US
dc.subjectMartin Buberen_US
dc.subjectMoses Mendelssohnen_US
dc.subjectJewish philosophyen_US
dc.subjectAestheticsen_US
dc.subjectOntologyen_US
dc.subjectReligious studiesen_US
dc.subjectJudaismen_US
dc.subjectGerman Jewishen_US
dc.subjectImmanuel Kanten_US
dc.subjectSingularityen_US
dc.subjectDialogueen_US
dc.subjectJewish thoughten_US
dc.titleOut of the In-Between: Moses Mendelssohn and Martin Buber's German Jewish Philosophy of Encounter, Singularity, and Aestheticsen_US
dc.typeThesisen_US
dc.type.materialTexten_US
thesis.degree.departmentReligious Studiesen_US
thesis.degree.disciplineHumanitiesen_US
thesis.degree.grantorRice Universityen_US
thesis.degree.levelDoctoralen_US
thesis.degree.nameDoctor of Philosophyen_US
Files
Original bundle
Now showing 1 - 1 of 1
Thumbnail Image
Name:
Dissertation Final123.pdf
Size:
1010.1 KB
Format:
Adobe Portable Document Format
Download
License bundle
Now showing 1 - 2 of 2
No Thumbnail Available
Name:
license.txt
Size:
943 B
Format:
Plain Text
Description:
Download
No Thumbnail Available
Name:
license1.txt
Size:
943 B
Format:
Plain Text
Description:
Download
Collections
Rice University Theses and Dissertations