Abstract

Avineri’s book offers a genuinely integrated portrait of Hess. It departs from Isaiah Berlin’s influential reading of Hess as a youthful socialist who, owing to the failure of revolution in 1848, matured as a Zionist. Rather, Avineri highlights both the proto-Zionist elements in Hess’ earliest works and the enduring socialist element in his most important book, Rome and Jerusalem. Hess’ distinctive contribution as a thinker is located in his resolute interest in both socialism and nationalism.