Moishe Postone (1942–2018) was one of the foremost theorists of modern antisemitism. His work engaged with Marx, the Frankfurt School, contemporary social dynamics and the critique of political economy. Postone became known for his analysis of the social causes of modern antisemitism and his criticism of the German left's handling of antisemitism and the Nazi past.
Postone’s work sparked scholarly as well as political debates dedicated to understanding capitalist society and its dynamics as well as on combatting the continuing legacies of National Socialism and the changing forms of modern antisemitism. His theoretical and structural analyses of National Socialism, antisemitism, and German memory politics remain relevant today, serving as a critical reference point in international discourse.
Archiving, provision, and reissuing of his life's work
The Moishe Postone Legacy Project aims to make Postone’s complete body of work accessible and available to the public through the University of Chicago archives. The project website will feature a bibliography of his published works and interviews, as well as unpublished writings, digitized excerpts from the archive, audio recordings, and videos and will provide an overview of research on Postone. Additionally, the MPLP aims to support translation and editorial projects in other languages and to establish an infrastructure to facilitate networking among researchers focused on Postone’s work. The project is based at the Centre for Transcultural Studies.
Through the categorisation, archiving, and reissuing of his life’s work, the Moishe Postone Legacy Project secures the valuable legacy of the theorist and paves the way for future engagement with his contributions.