emmanuel levinas (1905-1995) - st. mary catholic ... levinas (1905-1995) born in kaunas, lithuania...
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EMMANUELLEVINAS(1905-1995)
� BorninKaunas,Lithuania� LivedduringtheHolocaustwithhisJewishfamily� BeganstudiesatUniversityofStrassbourgin
philosophy� LevinassawacontrastbetweenWestern
philosophyandhisstrongJewishfaith(westernershadahabitofcategorizing
peoplebytryingtoestablishwhatwasthesamebetweenthem.)
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LevinasandWorldWarII
� WWII–LevinaswascaughtbytheGermansandwasaprisonerofwarfor5years.
� HiswholefamilydiedintheHolocaustexceptfoehiswifeanddaughterwhoescapedandhidinamonasteryinFrancebutlostcommunicationwithhim.
� HiswarexperiencemadeLevinasmoreawareof“theOther”
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ConnectingwithhisJewishRoots
� MordachiChouchani(Jewishteacher)wasLevinas’teacheratageof40
� HeinstructedLevinasintheJewishTalmud� Soon,LevinasalsoinstructedtheTalmudto
youngJewishintellectualsinFrance
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TeachingandLastYears
� 1973–BecameprofessorofphilosophyatSorbonne(mostprestigiousschoolinParis)afterwritinghisfamousbook“TotalityandInfinity”
� Becameapopularwriterandsoonretired� Eveninlecturing,tookhisJewishvaluesvery
seriously(NolecturingontheSabbath)� Inhisownwritings,PopeJohnPaulIIusedLevinas’sideasanddiscussedwithhimoften.
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WisdomofLoveLévinaspreferstothinkofphilosophyasthe"wisdomoflove“ratherthantheloveofwisdom(theliteralGreekmeaningoftheword"philosophy").Inhisview,responsibilityto“theOther”precedesany"objectivesearchingaftertruth".ForLevinas,ethicsis,firstandforemost,bornontheconcretelevelofpersontopersoncontact.
Hedoesnotfindmorality� inscribedwithinthewillofGod(Aquinas),� inreason(Kant),or� inanyuniversaldesireforpleasure(Bentham,Mill).
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“TheOther”Levinasisnotconcernedwiththepropositionoflawsormoralrules.ThedrivingforcebehindLevinas’strainofthoughtisnottodiscoverthetruthofethics,buttomakeanappealforethicaltransformation.Levinasinvitesustolisten,notonlytowhathehastosay,but,moreimportantly,tothevoiceof‘theOther’,whosanctionsallofourmoralobligation.Whendefiningethics,Levinaswouldarguethattherecanbenoethicswithoutatleasttwopeople.Itistosaythatethicsisanimportantissueforusbecauseitgovernsthewayinwhichwerelatewithoneanother.
ThisdefinitionaccordingtoLevinasisnotunfounded:� St.Thomastellsusthat"harmshouldnotbegiventoanother".� Kant'sCategoricalImperativeindicatesthatthemoralagentshould"treat
humanity,whetherinhis/herownpersonorthepersonofanother,notonlyasameansbutalsoasanendinitself."
� Mill's"principleofutility"impliesotherswhenhenotesthatethicsisrootedinthenotionofthegreatesthappinessforthegreatestnumber.
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� Ifethicsisconcernedwiththeother,thenitwouldappearthatinordertofilloutacompleteaccountofethics,themeansbywhichtwopeoplecomeincontactwitheachotherwillbevitallyimportant.Here,thenistherootofLevinas'concern:toestablishthesourceofcontactbetweenpersonsorthesourceofinterpersonalmeaning,andinfindingthismeaning,Levinasfindstheethical.
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Whatis“TheOther”?Toanon-philosopher,thesourceofcontactbetweenpersonsseemstobeasuperficialquestion.Theansweris,atfirst,easy.Theotherpersonismetinexperienceeveryday,onthestreet,intheclassroom,intheworkplace,etc.Toaphilosopher,however,thequestionisnotsoeasybecausetheybecomeburdenedbyexistentialthoughts.
� Doestheotherpersonhaveamind?� Istheotheracreationofmyimagination?ThefamousphilosopherDescarteswasparticularlypreoccupiedbythesequestions.Hestated,“If‘theOther’ismerelyanidea,oraworkofmymind,thenhowcanIknowwhatisrealindependentofmyperceptionofitsinceideasarecreatedandinventedbyamind,notdiscovered?”
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Giventhisviewtowardsideas,then,anytimeIperceiveorpresupposemyideaofwhatorwhoapersonshouldbe,Ihaveclosedoffcontactwiththerealperson;Ihavecutofftheconnectionwiththeotherthatisnecessaryifethicsistorefertorealotherpeople.Thisisacentralviolencetotheotherthatdeniestheotherhis/herownautonomy.Levinascallsthisviolence"totalization"anditoccurswheneverIlimit‘theOther’toasetofrationalcategories,betheyracial,sexual,orotherwise.Indeed,itoccurswheneverIalreadyknowwhattheotherisaboutbeforetheotherhasspoken.Totalizationisadenialoftheother'sdifference,andaccordingtoLevinasthisisunethical.AccordingtoLevinas,‘theOther’existsindependentlyofme.‘TheOther’cannotbeaninterpretationoraworkingofmyownmind.Onecannotreduce‘theOther’tohis/herdiscretesetofideas.Thiscutsoffcontactwith‘theother.’
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Transcendence� Levinas'work,TotalityandInfinity(1969),isacritiqueof
Westernphilosophy.LevinaswasconcernedwithWesternphilosophy’spreoccupationwith‘Being,’attheexpenseof‘theOther.’LevinasperceivedtheWesternphilosophicaltraditionasattemptingtoovercomealldifferenceanddiversitybygroupingeverythingunderanall-encompassingunitywhichitcalled‘Being.’Beingseekstonamewhatthingshaveincommonwhenyoutakeawayallthedifferences.AccordingtoLevinas,westernerswereguiltyofthinkingawaydifference.Differenceisreducedtobeingaccidental(meaningnon-essentialbecauseitchangesineveryindividual).Thisconceptofbeingisdangerousbecauseittakesawayfromrealitywhatisitsmostfascinatingquality:thateachpersoninincrediblyunique.
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Infinity� LikeAristotle’sandKant’s
ethics,Levinasisinsearchofthegood.WhereasWesternphilosophypreoccupiesitselfwiththesearchforBeing,LevinaswentinsearchofthegoodwhichhesaidgoesbeyondBeing.TheGoodisinterestednotinwhatiscommonamongthings,butinwhatisabsolutelyuniqueabouteachpersonorthing.Levinascallstheseuniquethingsandpersons‘traces’oftheGoodorGod.NotangibleobjectiseveridenticaltoGod,orthegood.
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AccordingtoLevinashowdoweachievethegood?
� Inordertoachievethegood,Levinasarguesthatwemustorientourselvestoward‘theOther.’ForLevinas,theoptimalfacetofaceencounterrequiresaspecificorientation.When‘theOther’entersourself-focussedworld,‘theOther’placeshim/herselfaboveus.Notinasuperiorordominatingsense,butinawaythatyoulosethepowerofyourownproudsubjectivityandbecomeinsteadtheonewhoiscalledtorespond.Youarenowplacedintheroleofservantratherthanmaster.Youareplacedinareceptiveandresponsivepositionwhichdemandsyouraction.‘TheOther’thatimposesitselfdoesnotlimitbutpromotesmyfreedom,byarousingmygoodness.‘TheOther’impactsyouunlikeanyworldlyobjectorforce.
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� Thinkofatimeyouhadanabsoluteexperienceofanother:afacetofaceexperiencethattouchedyoudeeply.Intheeyesoftheotheryoumeetastranger,onewhomyoucannotreducetobeingyou.Andinthisperson’slook,‘theOther’callsyounottoreducehis/herfacetobeingthesameasanyotherface.Thisperson’sfaceisa“no”:arefusaltoletyoureducethefaceortodenythefaceitsuniqueness.Whenonerealizesthat‘theOther’s’faceescapesobjectification,thisiswhenLevinassaysthatweexperienceanepiphany.Thisepiphanyrevealsourresponsibilityfor‘theOther.’Weare,asLevinasstates,"hostage"totheotherthroughourresponsibility.Ourresponsibilityfortheotherisnonreciprocal–weexpectnothinginreturn.Wealways,asLevinasinsists,havearesponsibilitytoattendtoaswearesubjecttothefaceandcallof‘theOther.’
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� Herethesearchforthegoodends.Levinas’sethicsdoesnotbendusinGod’sdirection,butittwistsusinthedirectionofourneighbour.God’sinfinitegoodnesstouchesuswithoutourknowledge.God’stouchwillalwaysbeindirect.Godtouchesusthroughthefaceof‘theOther’whobegssparechangefromus.Godrefusestoappear,leavingonlyatraceinthefaceof‘theOther,’retreatingtomakeroomfor‘theOther.’
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