Liebe Fanatiker

Fanaticism is older than Christianity, Islam, and Judaism. It lies within human nature, says Amos Oz. But who is a fanatic, and how can one cure them? And what about the fanaticism we sometimes feel within ourselves? In three essays, Amos Oz seeks answers. He writes from an existential perspective and offers a deeply personal view on the questions of extremism. Growing up in Jerusalem and becoming a writer in a kibbutz, he became, over the course of his life, a "specialist in comparative studies of fanaticism," partly due to his advocacy for a two-state solution. "Many lights, not just one. Many opinions, not just one." The greatest evil, according to the author who passed away in 2018, is the presumption of wanting to dictate the lives of others. Fanaticism begins where one least expects it: at home. From Amos Oz, we can learn how it is possible to live in a divided, polarized society—without becoming fanatics ourselves.