Meeting the Eternal Thou at the Corner Shop: Reflections on the Role of the Intellectual Historian in light of Martin Buber: A Life of Faith and Dissent

The research proposes future directions for scholars intellectual history inspired by Paul Mendes-Flohr’s recent biography of Martin Buber. Arguing that the interpretation of intellectual legacy suffers when conducted without reference to the historical circumstances in which it emerged, the essay suggests that scholars of Jewish thought are in a unique position to contribute to the future of the historical study of ideas.