Levinas: An Introduction

Key Contemporary Thinkers (Polity)

by Colin Davis

In recent years, there has been a resurgence of interest in the work of Emmanuel Levinas, widely recognized as one of the most important yet difficult philosophers of the twentieth century. In this much-needed introduction, Davis unpacks the concepts at the center of Levinas's thought-alterity, the Other, the face, infinity-concepts which have previously presented readers with major problems of interpretation. Davis traces the development of Levinas's thought over six decades, describing the context in which he worked, and the impact of his writings. He argues that Levinas' work remains tied to the ontological tradition with which he wants to break, and demonstrates how his later writing tries to overcome this dependency by its increasingly disruptive, sometimes opaque, textual practice. He discusses Levinas’s theological writings and his relationship to Judaism, as well as the reception of his work by contemporary thinkers, arguing that the influence of his work has led to a growing interest in ethical issues among poststructuralist and postmodernist thinkers in recent years. Comprehensive and clearly written, this book is essential reading for students and teachers in Continental philosophy, French studies, literary theory, and theology.

Genres: Philosophy, Nonfiction

168 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1996

Reviews

[Justin Evans · Rating 5 out of 5]

I give 5 stars because it's a great introduction to Levinas' thought, not because it's of any independent value. That said, it really is a very good introduction. Davis gives you the overarching point of Levinas' philosophy in the first three chapters, and manages to make it both comprehensible and quite convincing; that's a rare double. The book's a bit heavy on the special pleading. It's true that Levinas' writing is, well, needlessly impenetrable, and Davis never gives you the impression that he really buys all that medium is the message crap that you get from some commentators on continental philosophy. But there's an awful lot of defense that really shouldn't be in here. Maybe a health warning: trying to read Lev will make you angry, but it's worth persevering. But not a full-fledged defense. The same could be said of the final chapter on Levinas' interlocutors, which was pretty dull. Yep, he falls in between academic philosophy and the nuttier fringes; but you already know that because Davis does a great job bringing it out in the early chapters. Kudos, though, for the chapter on his religious writings. Do I want to read his commentaries on the Talmud? No. But it's nice to know someone did.

Anyway, this is well written, well structured, sympathetic and objective. Also, it makes me think Levinas was onto something much more impressive than I had previously thought (blame a certain famous professor from my grad-school days).

“Modern anti-humanism is right, Levinas suggests, though not entirely for the reasons it gives. It correctly abolishes the notion of the human person as the free, self-creating source of its own values; but it then fails to make Levinas’s move of reinstating subjectivity in terms of substitution and responsibility… ‘Humanism has to be denounced only because it is not sufficiently human,’ (OB, 203/128)”

[Thomas Hidya · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is a great introduction to the thought of Emmanuel Levinas.

[G · Rating 5 out of 5]

An excellent introduction to Levina's world and it's complexities without overwhelming the reader.