Holocaust and Post-Holocaust: Examining the Perspectives of Zygmunt Bauman

Document Type : Original Article

Authors

1 Master Educated, Department of Philosophy and Religion, Faculty of Theology, Law and Islamic Studies, University of Sistan and Baluchestan, Zahedan, Iran

2 Corresponding Author, Associate Professor, Department of Religion and Comparative Mysticism, Faculty of Theology and Islamic Teaching, University of Sistan and Baluchestan, Zahedan, Iran

Abstract

The Holocaust, as the most significant event in the history of Judaism, transformed the philosophical, social, and theological foundations of the Jewish people and brought about profound changes in their religious thought and communal structures. Focusing on Zygmunt Bauman’s interpretation, this article explores the relationship between the Holocaust, instrumental rationality, and modernity, and examines its ethical and social implications in the post-Holocaust era. Employing a documentary and descriptive–analytical method, the study compares Bauman’s works with the views of Jewish and non-Jewish thinkers such as Buber, Jonas, and Finkelstein, and evaluates them through critical content analysis. The findings indicate that Bauman’s proposed strategies for reconstructing society after the catastrophe—namely a return to authentic human relationships and the revival of spirituality—are effective only when they move beyond exclusivist and narcissistic formulations of collective identity and are grounded in shared ethical principles and interreligious dialogue. The article further argues that Bauman’s reliance on “situational ethics” within the framework of “liquid modernity,” while useful for describing contemporary crises, suffers from an inherent relativism that weakens the boundaries of moral judgment and may enable the justification of unethical actions.
Accordingly, the study concludes that the reconstruction of ethics and identity in the post-Holocaust context requires integrating sociological analysis with non-exclusivist theology, embracing human responsibility, and redefining the relationship with the “Other.” Moreover, reducing the transformations within Judaism solely to the Holocaust constitutes an incomplete and biased interpretation.

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References

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Comparative Study of Religions and Mysticism
Volume 10, Issue 2
October 2026
Pages 465-504

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History

  • Receive Date: 16 February 2026
  • Revise Date: 27 February 2026
  • Accept Date: 04 May 2026

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