On September 11th, 2023, the Zahava and Moshael Straus Center for Torah and Western Thought hosted Adam Kirsch, Features Editor at The Wall Street Journal, for a talk about his latest book , published by Columbia University Press. In conversation with Straus Center Deputy Director Rabbi Dr. Stuart Halpern, Kirsch gave an overview of the book鈥檚 arguments, which discuss debates about whether the end of humanity on earth might be a positive eventuality.
Kirsch identified two schools of thought: antihumanism, which views humanity as destructive and welcomes our extinction, and transhumanism, which views technology as something that will ultimately become superior to us. Kirsch, who is also a renowned literary critic and poet, has written a great deal on Jewish subjects, having also presented at the Straus Center last year about his book on (daily Talmud learning).
When asked about how he approached his latest book from the perspective of Jewish thought, Kirsch noted that in this case, his audience also included Christians, 鈥渂ecause they recognize that these are fundamentally spiritual issues鈥 about what is the purpose of humanity?鈥 From a Jewish frame of reference, Kirsch elaborated on how the biblical account of Eden has shaped his thinking about the environment, how messianic ideas might connect to ways of thinking about the end of the world, and how the kabbalistic idea of tzimtzum (contraction) might serve as a helpful analogy for 鈥渃ontracting ourselves in order to create something else鈥hat鈥檚 more important than us.鈥
As Jews around the world are currently reading through the early chapters of Genesis, Kirsch鈥檚 ideas are quite timely. The event was co-sponsored by the Straus Center and the Jay and Jeanie Schottenstein Honors Program. You can learn more about the Straus Center by signing up for our newsletter . Be sure to also like us on , follow us on and and connect with us on .
