LES JUIFS parmi les nations Conférence faite par M. Jacques Maritain sous les auspices des Groupes Chrétienté au Théâtre des Ambassadeurs le samedi 5 février 1938 – The Jews Among the Nations – A Conference Held by Mr. Jacques Maritain under the Auspices of Chrétienté at the Théâtre des Ambassadeurs on February 5, 1938. Published by Les Éditions du Cerf. A wake-up call by the French scholar Jacques Maritain on the dangers of rampant antisemitism at its peak in 1938, offering an urgent attempt to propose an immediate solution before it would be too late.
A powerful and urgent address by Jacques Maritain, in which he defines antisemitism as “one of the wicked symptoms of the general degradation of our civilization.” At the outset, he examines the unfathomable scale of antisemitism in Europe in 1938, particularly in Germany. Regarding German antisemitism, he states that the German nation should be ashamed that its very self-definition has come to depend on hatred of the Jews. Maritain systematically refutes the major claims of antisemitism, arguing that while certain accusations may be true of the Jewish minority, they apply equally to any ethnic minority. He warns that the immense scale of Jew-hatred demands immediate action to halt its progress. With remarkable foresight, he clearly identifies the imminent catastrophe awaiting the Jewish people, explicitly stating that the ultimate goal is complete extermination: “In today’s Europe, there are those who seek destruction and death, first and foremost the extermination of the Jews. For that is what this is all about, is it not? In the end—beneath the foolish mechanism of racial science or forged documents—they conceal from others, and sometimes from themselves, the mad hope of a general slaughter of the race of Moses and Jesus. This massacre remains, for now, a dream; yet the seeds of hatred that poison the air are real. It will take much love, a spirit of justice and charity, to cleanse this atmosphere…”. Maritain urgently calls upon European nations to facilitate free Jewish immigration, particularly in densely populated urban centers, recognizing with great wisdom the existential danger facing the Jewish people on the eve of World War II: “A special effort must be made. Despite everything, a renewal— as wide-ranging as possible—of Jewish immigration must be allowed. I say Jewish immigration under free consent…”. He suggests that immigration be directed either to Eretz Israel or to sparsely populated territories across the Atlantic. He highlights the absurdity of antisemitism, which both persecutes Jews to force them to emigrate, yet simultaneously places every conceivable obstacle in their way when they attempt to leave. For countries where large Jewish populations make mass emigration impossible, he proposes enshrining full legal protection for Jewish communities and drafting new laws to safeguard their rights. A profoundly prescient and alarming wake-up call, The Jews Among the Nations stands as a testament to Maritain’s moral courage and his early recognition of the existential threat posed to European Jewry on the brink of the Holocaust.
Jacques Maritain (1882–1973), a renowned French Catholic philosopher, was one of the most influential thinkers of 20th-century neo-Thomist philosophy. His impact was particularly significant in political philosophy, metaphysics, and ethics. Maritain addressed antisemitism on several occasions, particularly in the context of World War II and its aftermath. He was among the leading Catholic intellectuals who opposed antisemitism and sought to promote a new Christian approach toward the Jewish people after the Holocaust. He was politically active, advocating for human rights, democracy, and the relationship between religion and state. After World War II, he was appointed France’s ambassador to the Vatican.
Extremely rare. Not listed in the WorldCat global library catalog.
48 pages. Light stain on the cover. Very good condition. On the last page, a long handwritten note discussing the content of the booklet, along with an additional sheet written on both sides (the author of the note is unidentified).
