The Problem of Evil and the Holocaust

Philosophy, Religion and the Holocaust

In this course Professor David Tollerton (University of Exeter) examines religious and philosophical perspectives on the Holocaust. In the first module, we explore the impact of the events on the Holocaust on the traditional philosophical problem of evil. In the second module, we look at Christian guilt concerning both the Holocaust itself, and the wider historical antisemitism implicated in it. In the third module we examine human behaviour and the Holocaust, before turning to the uniqueness of the Holocaust as a historical event in the fourth module. In the fifth module, we consider the ethics of Holocaust representation in culture and media. Finally, in the sixth module we address remembrance of the Holocaust and some broader questions surrounding it.

The Problem of Evil and the Holocaust

In this module, we discuss the relationship between the Holocaust and the problem of evil, focusing in particular on (i) the problem of evil in Jewish thought (ii) differing perspectives of influential Jewish thinkers on this problem.