Are We Idolaters? Yeshayahu Leibowitz on Jewish Spirituality and Jewish Politics

A virtual event presentation by Dr. Samuel Fleischacker About The Event: We will take a look at some of the religious and political writings of the Israeli chemistry professor, philosopher, Torah-commentator, and gadfly, Yeshayahu Leibowitz. Our focus will be Leibowitz’s conception of idolatry: what idolatry is, for him; how halakha enables us to struggle against it; and the special danger it poses when it shows up as nationalism, including Jewish nationalism. *Source Sheet: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1eudqANyu31t1dbbaeIjbCMWDbzgH6dFjhRIzUZUpMJY/edit?usp=sharingAbout The Speaker: Sam Fleischacker is LAS Distinguished Professor of Philosophy at the University of Illinois in Chicago (UIC). He works on moral and political philosophy and the philosophy of Judaism. His most recent book is From Idolatry to Holiness: A Modern Ethical Framework for Understanding Jewish Law (Cambridge, 2026); previous books include Being Me Being You: Adam Smith and Empathy (University of Chicago, 2019), The Good and the Good Book (Oxford, 2015), and Divine Teaching and the Way of the World (Oxford, 2011). He has also written short pieces for TheTorah.com, including “Hearing God’s Voice” and “Making Sense of Revelation.” ★ Support this podcast ★