The Interesting Biblical Emergence of Disinterest

• In Event: The Bible and the Human Condition

Abstract

The concept of interest is very interesting, and so is disinterest. Modern ethical theories saw a rise of the idea of disinterestedness, which praises moral action that lacks any interest. In early Jewish tradition, however, there seems to be a different trajectory, which views human agency as interested, and sees interestedness favorably. In the Pentateuch and in the Prophets parts of the Hebrew Bible (HB), the prevailing philosophical anthropology indeed conceives the human creature as an interested thinking animal. There are, however, other voices. Ecclesiastes (Qohelet) 1:13 marks a shift: “and I set my mind to study and to probe with wisdom concerning all that happens under the skies, is an evil matter/interest (עִנְיַן רָע) which God gave men to be concerned with”. Strikingly, the very first instance of the word interest (‘inyan) in Jewish tradition is negative. This notion, which pertains to worldly affairs in the wide sense, is raised by the author of Qohelet in order to debunk it, as ‘inyan is pictured as evil. The alternative ethos that Ecclesiastes praises is disinterestedness. This, I wish to argue, is a pivotal axiological moment in Jewish tradition, which is a part of what I suggest to term as “the Agapic turn”. What were the effects of this pivotal verse? This paper briefly considers its commentaries, and elaborates on the broader landscape of Jewish Thought: What was the effect of disinterestedness on Jewish ethics? I will argue that without Ecc. 1:13, texts such as Mishnah Avot 5:16, which glorifies disinterested love, would be unimaginable.

Author

• Nadav S Berman, Bar-Ilan University