Jonathan Irvine Israel FBA (born 22 January 1946) is a British historian specialising in Dutch history, the Age of Enlightenment, Spinoza's Philosophy and European Jews.
[5][6] Israel is sharply critical of Jean-Paul Marat and Maximilien de Robespierre for repudiating the true values of the Radical Enlightenment and grossly distorting the French Revolution.
He argues, "Jacobin ideology and culture under Robespierre was an obsessive Rousseauiste moral Puritanism steeped in authoritarianism, anti-intellectualism, and xenophobia, "and it repudiated free expression, basic human rights, and democracy.
He contends that Israel's dichotomy oversimplifies the intricate intellectual landscape of the Enlightenment, failing to appreciate the subtleties and diverse perspectives of individual thinkers.
He questions the validity of reducing the rich tapestry of ideas to a binary framework, arguing that this oversimplification neglects the diversity of intellectual currents within the Enlightenment.
He argues that Israel's methodology struggles to accommodate the intricate relationship between content and form, thought and representation, particularly in texts relevant to the remapping of the Enlightenment.
Instead of embracing a rigid, systematic rationalism, Hume advocates for a more pragmatic and uncertain approach, which the author sees as a vital aspect of the Enlightenment's philosophical modernity.
La Vopa cautions against accepting Israel's dichotomous classification, asserting that it imposes an artificial divide on the historical movement of the Enlightenment.
Moyn raises questions about Israel's justification for the success of emancipatory values during the Enlightenment, suggesting that attributing their triumph to inherent truth is an insufficient historical explanation.
[13] In 2010 he was awarded the Benjamin Franklin Medal by the Royal Society for the Encouragement of Arts, Manufactures and Commerce (RSA) for his outstanding contribution to Enlightenment scholarship.