THE ECONOMICS OF BEING JEWISH
2011; Taylor & Francis; Volume: 23; Issue: 1-2 Linguagem: Inglês
10.1080/08913811.2011.574481
ISSN1933-8007
Autores Tópico(s)Religion and Society Interactions
ResumoAbstract Abstract In his Capitalism and the Jews, Jerry Z. Muller discusses the relationship between Jews and "usury"; explains how Jews have benefitted from capitalism; argues that most Jews are not on the left; and describes the relationship between Jews and nationalism. In covering this much ground in so compact a book, he naturally leaves out a great deal, such as the importance of ideology in issues of determining Jewish economic savoir faire, and why, despite their accomplishments in many fields, Jews are conspicuously underrepresented in the pantheon of great inventors before the modern industrial age. Jewish traditional culture was inherently backward-looking and conservative and thus did not encourage revolutionary ideas and thinking outside the box. Notes 1. After 1850, with the dramatic changes in Jewish culture triggered by the haskala, the share of Jews among leading scientists and inventors rose steeply. Among the more notable names are those of the physical chemist Fritz Haber, inventor of the Haber-Bosch process, arguably one of the most important inventions of all times; Paul Ehrlich, the originator of modern immunology; aviation pioneer Otto Lilienthal; Theodore von Kármán, the father of supersonic flight; and László Bíró, the inventor of the ballpoint pen. Additional informationNotes on contributorsJoel MokyrJoel Mokyr, is the author of, most recently, The Enlightened Economy: An Economic History of Britain 1700–1850 (Yale University Press, 2010)
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