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Jewish Thinkers

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  • 22-03-2010 11:32am
    #1
    WindSock
    Closed Accounts Posts: 18,239 ✭✭✭✭


    I was just wondering why so many of the greatest thinkers, Sociologists, Scientists, Musicians etc in the last few centuries happen to be Jewish? Is it something about Jewish culture that produces great minds? Or is it to do with their marginalisation do you think.


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    #2
    Truley
    Registered Users Posts: 1,628 ✭✭✭Truley


    Interesting question. I would have supposed it has more to do with wealth and hence educational opportunity, rather than religious influence per se. Especially in the early 20th century. The likes of Marx, Durkheim, Goffman etc all came from rather wealthy academic families anyway, at a time when Jewish community was generally quite flush.


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    #3
    Pittens
    Closed Accounts Posts: 1,404 ✭✭✭Pittens


    Musicians?

    I like Philip Glass, though.


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    #4
    Earthhorse
    Registered Users Posts: 14,714 ✭✭✭✭Earthhorse


    Could be a little of both. Personally, I'd be more inclined toward the cultural argument; they seem to have a respect for learning, perhaps even a respect for calling, that is stronger than in most cultures. Hard to say for sure though.


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    #5
    WindSock
    Closed Accounts Posts: 18,239 ✭✭✭✭WindSock


    Pittens wrote: »
    Musicians?

    I like Philip Glass, though.

    Well, Composers. Musicians too.


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    #6
    recedite
    Closed Accounts Posts: 13,993 ✭✭✭✭recedite


    There is a theory that in the past, when only a minority of people got an education, the smartest kids, the intellectuals, were the ones that went into the priesthood to study, while others stayed on the farm.

    Religions always want to increase their numbers, so they always encourage procreation.
    Rabbis, leading by example, tended to have larger families than the other Jews.
    Catholic priests... well we know what happened there.

    Protestant clergymen... somewhere in the middle. Just two is still referred to today as "a gentleman's family".

    Of course, if you look around today, you'll find the dumbest people seem to have the most offspring. So maybe we should worry about humanity's future. :(


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    #7
    ZorbaTehZ
    Registered Users Posts: 2,149 ✭✭✭ZorbaTehZ


    Richard Feynman spoke about this before (i think it was in his interviews) he said that the Jewish religion encourages learning, and acquiring knowledge and so on, and how open and progressive it tends to be, and this was his reasoning behind it.


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    #8
    goose2005
    Registered Users Posts: 4,798 ✭✭✭goose2005


    ZorbaTehZ wrote: »
    Richard Feynman spoke about this before (i think it was in his interviews) he said that the Jewish religion encourages learning, and acquiring knowledge and so on, and how open and progressive it tends to be, and this was his reasoning behind it.
    It does require a lot of scriptural study compared to Christianity - especially Catholicism, where reading the Bible gets very little encouragement.


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    #9
    Byron85
    Registered Users Posts: 1,443 ✭✭✭Byron85


    ZorbaTehZ wrote: »
    Richard Feynman spoke about this before (i think it was in his interviews) he said that the Jewish religion encourages learning, and acquiring knowledge and so on, and how open and progressive it tends to be, and this was his reasoning behind it.

    Feynman's family weren't particularly devout though. From listening to him to talk about his father, it was Feynman Sr. that was the major influence in his early life. His father taught him to question things and on the other hand tried to explain a lot of things scientifically to him.

    Here's a clip of Feynman talking about his father.

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=695Flhmjmg4


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    #10
    Babydiva
    Registered Users Posts: 10 ✭Babydiva


    Education has always played a very vital part of Jewish upbringing. Those brought up in religious atmosphere, sharpened their minds with talmudic studies. Since Jews were forbidden to own land or work in certain professions and often had to leave their homes and country, music, arts, philosophy, as well as medicine were trades that could be used wherever you lived.
    Wealth is not an influence to produce great thinkers. Even in the most dire of circumstances such as the concentration camps, children were educated, writers wrote and painters produced works of art. There were even orchestras and acting troupes.
    We are the people of the Book. Since the Tanauch we wrote and played instuments, danced, told stories, and created poetry. Our great thinkers started with Abraham. We have always questioned our G-d and the world above and below. Why you may ask? The answer is simple: We're Jews. Put two of us in a room and you'll get three opinions.


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