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In many ways, he argues, Shakespeare's play is even more accepting than Francis Bacon's notably inclusive New Atlantis or the Jewish philosopher Benedict Spinoza's argument for tolerance in the Theologico-Political Treatise. Emphasizing that The Merchant of Venice is a work of political philosophy as well as literature, Yaffe raises the intriguing possibility that Shakespeare presents Shylock not as a typical Jew, but as a bad one. Though the book focuses on the Jewish question, it has larger implications for our thinking in a number of areas: the rise of liberal democracy, the development of religious toleration, the relation of church and state, and the interrelation of politics, economics, and religion--in short, a whole range of issues basic to the conception of modernity.  \"Highly recommended for all readers.\"--D. O. Dickerson, Judson College  \"There is extraordinary virtue evident when scholars confront one of the great intellectual shibboleths of anti-Semitism in something like mortal combat and come out above the current fads. Was William Shakespeare anti-Semitic? [Yaffe] takes on this controversy with brilliant forthrightness and courage.\"--Baltimore Sun","brand":"WoB","offers":[{"title":"GB \/ VERY_GOOD \/ INTERNAL","offer_id":49528463491345,"sku":"GOR006280271","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":false},{"title":"GB \/ LIKE_NEW \/ INTERNAL","offer_id":49613263503633,"sku":"GOR008498995","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":false},{"title":"US \/ GOOD \/ SBYB","offer_id":49910681469201,"sku":"CIN0801862612G","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0784\/4072\/6801\/files\/0801862612.jpg?v=1750946011"},{"product_id":"difficult-freedom-book-emmanuel-levinas-9780801857836","title":"Difficult Freedom","description":"Jean Paul Sartre hailed him as the philosopher who introduced France to Husserl and Heidegger. Derrida has paid him homage as \"master.\" An original philosopher who combines the insights of phenomenological analysis with those of Jewish spirituality, Emmanuel Levinas has proven to be of extraordinary importance in the history of modern thought. Collecting Levinas's important writings on religion,  Difficult Freedom contributes to a growing debate about the significance of religion-particularly Judaism and Jewish spiritualism-in European philosophy. 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It describes the persistence throughout the period of certain negative biases that, in many cases, can be traced back at least to the late Middle Ages.","brand":"WoB","offers":[{"title":"- \/ - \/ -","offer_id":50525721592081,"sku":"","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true},{"title":"GB \/ VERY_GOOD \/ INTERNAL","offer_id":50525722280209,"sku":"GOR013985310","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0784\/4072\/6801\/files\/0801849039.jpg?v=1750882568"},{"product_id":"anti-semitic-stereotypes-book-frank-felsenstein-9780801861796","title":"Anti-Semitic Stereotypes","description":"In  Anti-Semitic Stereotypes, Felsenstein focuses on English cultural attitudes toward Jews during what is known as the \"longer\" eighteenth century, from roughly 1660 through 1830. He describes the persistence through the period of certain negative biases that, in many cases, can be traced back at least to the late Middle Ages. 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