Is the Holocaust Unique?: Perspectives on Comparative Genocide

In essays written specifically for this volume, distinguished contributors assess highly charged and fundamental questions about the Holocaust: Is it unique? How can it be compared with other instances of genocide? What constitutes genocide, and how should the international community respond? On one side of the dispute are those who fear that if the Holocaust is seen as the worst case of genocide ever, its character will diminish the sufferings of other persecuted groups. On the other side are those who argue that unless the Holocaust’s uniqueness is established, the inevitable tendency will be to diminish its abiding significance.

The editor’s introductions provide the contextual considerations for understanding this multidimensional dispute and suggest that there are universal lessons to be learned from studying the Holocaust. The third edition brings this volume up to date and includes new readings on the Cambodian and Rwandan genocides, common themes in genocide ideologies, and Iran’s reaction to the Holocaust. In a world where genocide persists and the global community continues to struggle with the implications of international crime, prosecution, justice, atonement, reparation, and healing, the issues addressed in this book are as relevant as ever.

Alan S. Rosenbaum is professor of philosophy at Cleveland State University and the author of Prosecuting Nazi War Criminals; The Philosophy of Human Rights; Coercion and Autonomy; and Constitutionalism: The Philosophical Dimension. His many articles have appeared in professional publications such as The Encyclopedia of Genocide; The National Law Journal; The International Journal of Applied Philosophy; The Genocidal Mind; and The Journal of Social Philosophy.