The ethical regime [of the Jews] was quite definitely Ptolemaic, revolving around the small group of Jews, not the larger Gentile group-and, accordingly, they learned to remain unimpressed by Gentile temporal power. Being unimpressed did not mean being unafraid-material power might beat or starve one to death; it did mean refusing to surrender moral hegemony to the majority merely because it had power. (David Riesman)

The ethical regime [of the Jews] was quite definitely Ptolemaic, revolving around the small group of Jews, not the larger Gentile group-and, accordingly, they learned to remain unimpressed by Gentile temporal power. Being unimpressed did not mean being unafraid-material power might beat or starve one to death; it did mean refusing to surrender moral hegemony to the majority merely because it had power.

David Riesman

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