Moral Responsibility in the Holocaust : A Study in the Ethics of Character

In Moral Responsibility in the Holocaust, David H. Jones goes beyond historical and psychological explanations of the Holocaust to directly address the moral responsibility of individuals involved in it. While defending the view that individuals caught up in large-scale historical events like the Holocaust are still responsible for their choices, he provides the philosophical tools needed to assess the responsibility, both negative and positive, of perpetrators, accomplices, bystanders, victims, helpers, and rescuers. Discusses the question of the moral responsibility of individuals involved in the Holocaust: perpetrators, collaborators, victims, and bystanders. Rejects the view that an individual's need to establish his place in a society with a bad political culture (such as Nazi Germany) absolves him of guilt for participation in genocide. The individual can adapt flexibly and selectively to the majority political culture. No political culture diminishes a person's capacity to know right from wrong. Reflects on the blameworthiness of Hitler and of rank-and-file perpetrators for the Holocaust. Contesting Hilberg's views, contends that the victims cannot be blamed for passivity or collaboration. Discusses the moral aspects of the help or lack of help given by non-Jews to Jewish victims. Believes that study of the Holocaust can lead to political and moral lessons that could prevent future holocausts. (From the Bibliography of the Vidal Sassoon International Center for the Study of Antisemitism - The Hebrew University of Jerusalem) This book goes beyond historical and psychological explanations of the Holocaust to directly address the moral responsibility of individuals involved in it. While defending the view that individuals caught up in large-scale historical events like the Holocaust are still responsible for their choices, he provides the philosophical tools needed to assess the responsibility, both negative and positive, of perpetrators, accomplices, bystanders, victims, helpers and rescuers. This book will be an important addition to courses on the Holocaust in social and political philosophy, history, religion, and applied ethics.