This course delves into the central themes of modern Jewish philosophy, exploring how thinkers from the Enlightenment to the present have grappled with issues of religious autonomy, rationalism, and the tension between tradition and modernity. We will examine the challenges posed by Spinoza’s critique of religion, Mendelssohn’s defense of Jewish identity within a secular world, and Marx’s radical rethinking of religion’s role in society. Moving into the 20th century, we will confront the philosophical implications of the Holocaust, the existential questions of temporality, death, and the relation with the Other, and the enduring tension between ethics, Judaism, and the State of Israel. The course will also consider the problem of theodicy, the banality of evil, and the evolving relationship between Jewish ethical responsibility and the modern world. Through these themes, students will gain a nuanced understanding of how Jewish philosophy both shapes and is shaped by broader currents in Western thought, offering a unique perspective on the Jewish experience within the larger philosophical tradition.