Today I stumbled across a book called A World Without Jews, by Karl Marx. It's pretty horrible stuff. It occurs to me that I can't think of really horrible stuff written by any of the thinkers I greatly respect. Of course Schopenhauer's stuff on women is terrible, but I don't have that much respect for Schopenhauer. Heidegger was a Nazi, but I also think he was a terrible philosopher.
On the other hand, I have heard that, for example, Frege had some pretty disturbing views. I don't know if he published any of them. I can't think of anything published by the thinkers I love which is comparably disturbing. But my memory is probably being selective; I would prefer not to remember such things. I wonder what I'm forgetting.
You might be interested in the defence of Marx at http://www.worldsocialism.org/canada/world.without.jews.1960.v27n212.htm and http://www.worldsocialism.org/canada/marx.and.antisemitism.1960.v27n214.htm.
Posted by: Jason Grossman | April 09, 2008 at 10:00 AM