Orginators of socialst thought and action - Essay Example

Socialist Thought and Action The terms socialism and socialist were initially used around in the year 1830, nevertheless the basis of the thoughts which led to the founding of current labor actions dates back to the time of French Revolution (Silberner, 3). For array of reasons Jews were captivated to socialism as it started in Western Europe. Some attributed it as building of a just society based on the teachings of the Bible and Prophets, while others were attracted by its revolutionary nature.

Thus, while some Jews saw socialism as a counter to anti-Semitism, there were also Jews who saw in it away of getting relieve of their Jewish heritage and helping the cause of the Brotherhood of man. Socialist was predominantly striking for Jews worried to leave Ghetto behind them and who, frustrated with the slow advancement of 19th- century liberalism, were eager to embrace a different worldwide faith. In France some considered the emancipation of the Jews as being one of the preconditions for the freedom of humankind.

They alleged that Jewish monotheism foreshadowed the forthcoming harmony of mankind and their followers incorporated many French Jews.Socialism began in Russia later than Western Europe, in the next half of the 19th century. Following the death of Nicholas I and the accession of Alexander II led to the emancipation of the serfs and reduction of the repressive regime. Jewish became less secluded from broad stream of Russian communal life. Lots of Jewish socialist came from conventional homes and were slanted by the writing of Russian philosophers, whose effort they read at schools (Silberner, 36).

Jews largely favored integration, since they regarded Judaism as outdated and thought that Jewish liberation would come about in the course of the liberalization of Russian citizens with whom the Jews should incorporate. Thus, most of the early Jewish socialist regarded the Russian socialism as more important than Jewish emancipation (Silberner, 44). Jews chose to join the revolutionaries and go to the people. A number of Jewish socialists transformed to Christianity to ease their actions amongst the public, while Jewish women socialist became estranged from Judaism by marriage to non-Jewish revolutionaries.

The establishment of socialist regimes in European countries led to the repression of socialist parties and thus brought to an end the lengthy part of Jewish contribution in the fight for democratic socialist ideas in Russia (Silberner, 48).Work CitedSilberner, Edmund. Western European Socialism and the Jewish Problem, A SelectiveBibliography. Jerusalem: Jerusalem: The Hebrew University, (1955). Print