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.
dc.contributor.committeeMemberStroup, John M.
dc.contributor.committeeMemberEngelhardt, H. Tristram, Jr.
dc.contributor.committeeMemberWolfson, Elliot R
dc.creatorAtlas, Dustin
dc.date.accessioned2014-08-04T19:21:35Z
dc.date.available2014-08-04T19:21:35Z
dc.date.created2013-12
dc.date.issued2013-10-04
dc.date.submittedDecember 2013
dc.date.updated2014-08-04T19:21:35Z
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.
dc.format.mimetypeapplication/pdf
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>.
dc.identifier.urihttps://hdl.handle.net/1911/76335
dc.language.isoeng
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.
dc.subjectMartin Buber
dc.subjectMoses Mendelssohn
dc.subjectJewish philosophy
dc.subjectAesthetics
dc.subjectOntology
dc.subjectReligious studies
dc.subjectJudaism
dc.subjectGerman Jewish
dc.subjectImmanuel Kant
dc.subjectSingularity
dc.subjectDialogue
dc.subjectJewish thought
dc.titleOut of the In-Between: Moses Mendelssohn and Martin Buber's German Jewish Philosophy of Encounter, Singularity, and Aesthetics
dc.typeThesis
dc.type.materialText
thesis.degree.departmentReligious Studies
thesis.degree.disciplineHumanities
thesis.degree.grantorRice University
thesis.degree.levelDoctoral
thesis.degree.nameDoctor of Philosophy
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 Electronic Theses and Dissertations