From the last two decades of the 19th century, the word "antisemitism", in most Western countries, is used as a general term that characterizes the set of narratives, representations, beliefs, practices, and institutional formations whose historical expressions are distinguished by a hostile attitude towards Jews, their religious beliefs, and their way of life. This hostility is expressed socially through discrimination and persecution aimed at the denunciation or intimidation of Jews in order to isolate or expel them from a place, and takes various forms in terms of intensity, visibility in society, and ideological acceptance. Usually, this hostility, in individuals who express it concretely, is mixed with feelings of fear, distrust, hatred, contempt, or resentment, appearing in different proportions.
Anti-Jewish ideologies change form as they pass from one nation to another, from one social or cultural entity to another. In contrast to the commonly understood meaning of the term, "antisemitism" is a complex, multidimensional, multifactorial, heterogeneous, and constantly evolving phenomenon.
This volume presents a complete and effective panorama, supported by arguments, of a concept that unfortunately is more relevant than ever. Pierre-André Taguieff examines all forms of Judeophobia to show how they are based on retroactive rationalizations that aim to unjustifiably legitimize hatred, fears, and passions.