Raisons de naturaliser les Juifs

Résumé du livre

In "Introduction: Tolérance et citoyenneté" (p. 1-94), Lurbe presents a biography of the Irish philosopher John Toland (1670-1722) against the background of politics in England, and especially the internal struggles between the Tories and the Whigs regarding the naturalization of foreigners. Describes the reinstallation of the Jews in England in the Cromwell period and their status. Although they were tolerated, the Jews were deprived of some citizens' rights. They were divided into two groups: those born in England and those who were not. The latter paid higher taxes. Toland proposed a law to naturalize all of the Jews. Lurbe analyzes his economic and political arguments and states that he gave a human dimension to the history of the Jews by rejecting the theological function they filled in the history of sacrum. Discusses how original this attitude was at that time; Toland viewed the Jews as human beings and not only as people who might be "useful" to society and therefore receive citizens' rights. Pp. 95-159 contain the text of Toland's pamphlet.