Haunschmied

The world is globalized like never before, yet the primary point of reference for political legitimization remains the nation state. This reveals nationalism as one of the core sources of normativity in our time. This philosophical dimension of nationalism is emphasised by the fact, that most nationalist intellectuals drew heavily on philosophical arguments by adopting them to the concrete historical situations. Therefore, the study of the intellectual history of nationalism traverses a philosophical as well as an historical dimension, asking how nationalist thought was transformed during history.

This macro perspective will be adopted in a case study of the political philosophy of Zionism. Of specific interest is the extreme plurality of philosophical thought manifested in various branches of Zionism, as well as the unique historical circumstances of the development of Zionism and the state of Israel. Investigating this connection, it will be key to track the transformation of Zionist thought in interrelation to various historical changes and developments.

On a micro level, the rise of religious Zionism in Israeli society will receive special attention. Contrasting the philosophical parameters of Zionist thinkers as different as Theodor Herzel and Rav Kook, it shall be asked how the shift from the dominance of secular to religious Zionism was possible. Additionally, contemporary developments in the modern orthodox community shall be taken into account, examining the potential of new form of religious Zionism as a game change in contemporary Israeli politics.