In the post-enlightenment Europe of the 19th century the highest authority was no longer the Church. Instead it was science. Thus was born racial anti-Semitism, based on two disciplines regarded as science in their day - the 'scientific study of race' and the Social Darwinism of Herbert Spencer and Ernst Haeckel.
Interpretation
The quote discusses the shift in authority from the Church to science in 19th-century Europe, leading to harmful ideologies like racial anti-Semitism.
Jonathan Sacks highlights the transition in 19th-century Europe where scientific authority began to overshadow religious teachings, particularly the Church. This change not only altered societal structures but also paved the way for dangerous ideologies such as racial anti-Semitism that were falsely legitimized by scientific concepts like the study of race and Social Darwinism, thus demonstrating how the misuse of scientific authority can lead to grave societal injustices.
In practice
This quote could be used in a lecture on the relationship between science and society during the Enlightenment.
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