Singer’s Acceptance And Criticism Of Spinoza In The Family Moskat

Among the most prominent figures of Jewish American literature, Isaac BashevisSinger has received great attention. The Family Moskat embodies the thematicessence of his works. Although many critics have analyzed this novel, few focus onSpinoza’s influence on Singer, an important element demonstrated in this novel.This thesis, based on the analysis of The Family Moskat, aims to explore theinfluence of Spinoza on Singer’s thought in two respects—God and ethics, which inturn are divided into six chapters. The first two chapters mainly introduce theacademic background, the related theory of Spinoza and most importantly, Spinoza’sinfluence on Singer’s thought and writing. The third and fourth chapters deal withrespectively Singer’s acceptance of Spinoza on God and ethics. The fifth chapter,based on the previous chapters, explores Singer’s criticism of Spinoza on God andethics. The last chapter is conclusion. Singer agrees that God does exist, but he doesnot advocate love for God, who, according to Singer, is unjust and merciless; insteadSinger expresses his protest against Him. Concerning ethics Singer agrees withSpinoza that man should pursue earthly pleasure rather than lead an ascetic life asJudaism demands. Although he approves of Spinoza’s suggestion of restraininghuman affects by reason, Singer expresses his uncertainty about whether humanreason is powerful enough to help Jews curb their affects in modern times.