Response to Michael Sells

In an era when lies and misrepresentations about historical events easily become firmly rooted, Michael Sells's discussion illustrates the importance of careful historical research as a moral enterprise. In addition to the skills of the historian, however, there is also room in this enterprise...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Journal of religious ethics
Main Author: Green, Ronald Michael 1942- (Author)
Format: Electronic Review
Language:English
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Published: Wiley-Blackwell [2015]
In: Journal of religious ethics
Year: 2015, Volume: 43, Issue: 4, Pages: 761-765
Review of:Holocaust Abuse (2015) (Green, Ronald Michael)
Further subjects:B Book review
B Holocaust
B HISTORICAL research
B Islam
B Moral Judgment
Online Access: Presumably Free Access
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Summary:In an era when lies and misrepresentations about historical events easily become firmly rooted, Michael Sells's discussion illustrates the importance of careful historical research as a moral enterprise. In addition to the skills of the historian, however, there is also room in this enterprise for those of the ethicist. In particular, I warn against confusing the truth or falsity of claims about one narrow historical period with larger questions about the moral meaning and significance of those claims. Illustrating this, I argue one cannot assess the legitimacy of competing nationhood claims solely on the basis of the deeds of specific actors. Nor should the actions of a single individual like the Grand Mufti of Jerusalem be converted into a totalizing claim about the rights of the Palestinian people.
ISSN:1467-9795
Contains:Enthalten in: Journal of religious ethics
Persistent identifiers:DOI: 10.1111/jore.12120