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Theories of Antisemitism (JPM071)
Course Site: https://dl1.cuni.cz/course/view.php?id=14149 Instructor: Dr Hana Kubatova Email: hana.kubatova@fsv.cuni.cz Office Hours: konzultace.fsv.cuni.cz, and by appointment Office Location: room 516, Jinonice Campus
Course Description This class explores some of the major theoretical statements on antisemitism produced in the modern period. Beginning with a brief look at the history of Jewish emancipation and the ensuing debates about the “Jewish Question,” the course will consider the ways that antisemitism has been understood from the perspectives of history, theology, psychoanalysis, Marxism, critical theory, postcolonial thought, and more. The class will conclude with a consideration of the fraught contemporary arguments about the relationship between antisemitism and Zionism.
Please note this course aims to attract demanding students who enjoy interactive teaching methods and are also willing to work continuously throughout the semester on individual assignments. This is a combined lecture and seminar course. It is essential that students read the required readings for each class.
*This is a graduate course––and while undergraduate (BA level) students are welcome to attend, they need to be ready to fulfill all requirements.
Course Outline
Class I (October 2): Introduction — Why Theories of Antisemitism? Course Aims, Objectives, and Expectations
Class II (October 9): Defining Antisemitism Required reading Deborah Lipstadt, Antisemitism: Here and Now (New York: Schocken Books, 2019), ix-10. David Feldman, “Toward a History of the Term ‘Anti-Semitism,’” The American Historical Review, 123(4), 2018, 1139–1150.
Class III (October 16): Imagining the Jew: Anti-Judaism and Modernity Required reading Joshua Trachtenberg, The Devil and the Jews: The Medieval Conception of the Jew and its Relation to Modern Antisemitism (Skokie, Illinois: Varda Books, 2001): 11-31. Karl Marx, “On the Jewish Question” (1844), in Collected Works of Marx and Engels, vol. 3, 146–174. Isaac Deutscher, “The Non-Jewish Jew,” in The Non-Jewish Jew and Other Essays. London: Oxford University Press, 1968, 25–42.
Class IV (October 23): Race, Nation, and Antisemitism Required reading William Brustein and Ryan D. King, “Anti-Semitism in Europe before the Holocaust,” International Political Science Review 25, no. 1 (2004): 35–53. Hannah Arendt, “Antisemitism,” in The Origins of Totalitarianism. New York: Harcourt, 1951, 3–53. Optional: Benedict Anderson, Imagined Communities. London: Verso, 1983, ch. 6: “Official Nationalism and Imperialism,” 83–111.
Class V (October 30): The Common Sense of Antisemitism — Conspiracy and Populism Required reading J. Eric Oliver and Thomas J. Wood, “Conspiracy Theories and the Paranoid Style(s) of Mass Opinion,” American Journal of Political Science 58, no. 4 (2014): 952–966.
Class VI (November 6): Structural Antisemitism and the Holocaust
Class VII (November 13): Holocaust Memory, Distortion, and Denial Required reading Michael Shermer and Alex Grobman, Denying History: Who Says the Holocaust Never Happened and Why Do They Say It? Berkeley: University of California Press, 2000, 39–74.
Class VIII (November 20): Israel, Zionism, and Antisemitism Required reading Brian Klug, “Is Europe a Lost Cause? The European Debate on Antisemitism and the Middle East Conflict,” Patterns of Prejudice 38, no. 2 (2004): 93–110.
Class IX (November 27): Contemporary Antisemitism — Global Perspectives Required reading Johannes Due Enstad, “Facing Antisemitism in Europe: Individual and Country-Level Predictors of Jews’ Victimization and Fear across Twelve Countries,” Social Forces 103, no. 3 (2025): 1186–1209.
Class X (December 4): Gaza, Israel/Palestine, and Current Debates Required reading Victor Manuel Hernandez Lopez & Jaime E. Cuellar, “Mapping Controversies Using Artificial Intelligence: An Analysis of the Hamas-Israel Conflict on YouTube,” preprint (2025). Omar El Akkad, One Day, Everyone Will Have Always Been Against This. New York: Knopf, 2025.
Class XI (December 11): The Future of Antisemitism Studies Required reading A. Dirk Moses, “Introduction: Gaza and the Problems of Genocide Studies,” Journal of Genocide Research (2025).
Class XII (December 18): Learning Portfolio Presentations Task: Individual portfolio presentations (submitted a day prior). No required readings. Additional dates in January.
Assignments and Evaluation
Participation & Discussion Leadership (30% / 30 points)
Learning Portfolio (40% / 40 points) Throughout the semester, students write short reflections on selected readings and discussions (recommended 5 entries, approx. 300–400 words each). By December 17, students submit a portfolio consisting of 2–3 entries they consider most representative of their learning (max. 6 pages). During the final class or exam period, each student will give a brief (5–7 minute) presentation highlighting what they have learned, which concepts or readings influenced them most, and how their understanding evolved.
Controversy Mapping Assignment (40% / 40 points)
Final Grade Calculation follows Charles University regulations: A: 100–91 B: 90–81 C: 80–71 D: 70–61 E: 60–51 F: Below 50 (Fail) General Guidelines Making Accommodations Academic Integrity AI Use Any use of AI tools for assignments, discussions, or projects must be fully disclosed in your work. This includes specifying what tools were used, how they contributed to your process, and how they influenced the final submission. AI can be a helpful supplement to your learning and research, but it must not replace your own critical thinking and original analysis. Undisclosed use of AI tools may be considered a breach of academic integrity, potentially leading to disciplinary actions as per the university’s policy. Proper citation of any AI-generated content is required, just as with any other source or tool you incorporate into your work. If you are unsure about how to use AI tools ethically in your assignments or projects, please consult with the instructor early in the semester. No-Electronic Devices Policy
Poslední úprava: Kubátová Hana, doc., M.A., Ph.D. (02.10.2025)
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