The Individual and Personal Responsibility in Yad Vashem Studies, Volume V

Nathan Rotenstreich

NIS 13.00

The Individual and Personal Responsibility

This deeply philosophical article advances many suppositions and finds few answers. An individual, or a group of individuals, must have principles of behavior related to the society he lives in. Some believe that in a situation of iron discipline the individual has no choice and cannot be held responsible for carrying out orders. Furthermore, if the end result of the committed crimes is beneficial, his sentence should be mitigated, e.g., the birth of Israel referred to in Eichmann’s trial. The ideas of the Historical School are rather confused concerning this. Hegel’s philosophizing is widely quoted but the conclusions are indefinite. Yet, man must not give up his ability to analyze circumstances and must maintain his humanity.

The Individual and Personal Responsibility

This deeply philosophical article advances many suppositions and finds few answers. An individual, or a group of individuals, must have principles of behavior related to the society he lives in. Some believe that in a situation of iron discipline the individual has no choice and cannot be held responsible for carrying out orders. Furthermore, if the end result of the committed crimes is beneficial, his sentence should be mitigated, e.g., the birth of Israel referred to in Eichmann’s trial. The ideas of the Historical School are rather confused concerning this. Hegel’s philosophizing is widely quoted but the conclusions are indefinite. Yet, man must not give up his ability to analyze circumstances and must maintain his humanity.

מפרט המוצר
Year 1963
Catalog No. 196302
No. of Pages 17 pp.
Format Electronic article in Yad Vashem Studies, Volume V, pp. 17-33, Edited by Shaul Esh and Aryeh Leon Kubovy
Publisher Yad Vashem
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