Jewish thinkers of the 20th century. In search of identity – Franz Kafka

Abstract

Franz Kafka’s life and work have been the subject of many research papers. While the interpreters of his works knew that he was a Jew, they did not always fully realize the significance of this fact. Some would treat this issue as a marginal one, failing to see that it was the pivot of his existence and work. Kafka kept wandering about in search of his own identity. As a lost agnostic who “lapsed” from the hand of God, lived without Him in the darkness of atheism and tried to discern His light, Franz Kafka was not really dependent on any specific religious denomination. However, Judaism is so strongly related to the Mosaic revelation – like Christianity is related to Christ’s Revelation – that it cannot be here omitted or forgotten, as this would result in some misunderstandings. In a sense it is impossible to separate the fact of being Jewish from the religion. Kafka’s life, as well as his writing, resulted from his continual reference to the Absolute. There are two worlds far removed from each other: the world of spirit and the world of man. Kafka believed that there is a world of that which is spiritual, absolute, pure, true, unchanging and indestructible – the world devoid of sin, but full of perfection; therefore, there exists that which man tends to encapsulate in the concept of God.