description Emmanuel Levinas Overview
Emmanuel Levinas was a Lithuanian-born French philosopher notable for making ethics a first philosophy in Totality and Infinity, published in 1961.
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What does Levinas mean by ethics as first philosophy?
Levinas argues that responsibility to the other person comes before abstract knowledge or ontology. This idea is central to Totality and Infinity, published in 1961.
Why is the face important in Emmanuel Levinas's philosophy?
For Levinas, the face of the Other is not just a visual object. It represents an ethical demand that interrupts self-centered thinking.
How did Levinas's background shape his work?
Levinas was born in Lithuania and later worked in France. His Jewish education, phenomenology, and the catastrophe of World War II all shaped his philosophy.
Which philosophers influenced Emmanuel Levinas?
Levinas studied Husserl and Heidegger closely and helped introduce phenomenology to French readers. He later criticized Heidegger by placing ethics above ontology.
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