The Burden of Responsibility: Blum, Camus, Aron, and the French Twentieth Century

A historian explores how three noted French intellectuals maintained their moral principles despite the difficult political pressures of their era.

Through the prism of the lives three outstanding twentieth century French intellectuals—Leon Blum, Albert Camus, and Raymond Aron—history professor Tony Judt examines pivotal issues in the history of contemporary French society—antisemitism and the dilemma of Jewish identity, political and moral idealism in public life, the Marxist moment in Fren...