Fall/Winter Timetable

POL2027H1F L0101

Undergraduate Course Code: POL485H1F L0101

Topics in Political Thought II

Language and Politics: The Case of Hebrew

Themes

Hebrew as a sacred tongue (on the one hand) and as a profane, political tongue (on the other hand); the depiction of Hebrew in Jewish thought (e.g., Maimonides, Spinoza and Buber plus some texts from the Kabala); the role of language in the advent of Zionism as a national movement, including the "language wars" with Orthodox Jews; the place of Hebrew in shaping relations with non-Jewish Israelis. No prior knowledge of Hebrew is necessary.

Texts

TBA

Format and Requirements

One two-hour seminar per week. Course requirements TBA.