Susan Neiman
Reason in the World: A Reading of Job
In this lecture I will present a philosophical introduction to the Book of Job, arguing that the book can be read as centered upon the question of the place of reason in the world. It can thus be as problematic for atheists as for theists. After briefly discussing some of the textual problems that contribute to difficulties in understanding the work, I will offer a Kantian-inspired reading that seeks to defend both Job’s questions, and God’s answers to them.
Susan Neiman is director of the Einstein Forum. Born in Atlanta, Georgia, Neiman studied philosophy at Harvard and the Free University of Berlin. She was professor of philosophy at Yale University and Tel Aviv University before coming to the Einstein Forum in 2000. Her works include Slow Fire: Jewish Notes from Berlin (1992); The Unity of Reason: Rereading Kant (1994); Evil in Modern Thought (2002) and Moral Clarity: A Guide for Grown-up Idealists (2008).