Emmanuel Levinas: de Dieu Qui Vient a l'Idee (Bibliotheque Des Textes Philosophiques - Poche)

by Vrin, J. Vrin

The 13 essays in this volume -- touching on ethics and philosophical questions concerning politics, landguage, and religion -- investigate the possibility that the word "God" can be understood now, at the end of the 20th century, in a meaningful way. Nine of the essays appear in English for the first time.

Genres: Philosophy, Religion, Theology, Essays, France, Theory

272 pages, Pocket Book

First published January 1, 1982

Reviews

[Alex Obrigewitsch · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love these collections of Levinas' writings. He had his primary texts, Totality and Infinity and later Otherwise than Being, and then around these circled his many essays. They all come back to his ethical mode of thinking of the other, but in their circling motion they take in other themes as well.
From this collection, "God and Philosophy" was very insightful towards Levinas' thinking. I also found that "Transcendence and Evil" contained some great thoughts on the idea of evil, beyond the simple duality of the classic 'problem of evil.'

[Sara Sheikhi · Rating 5 out of 5]

Levinas asks if there is a possibility of a meaningful God as a part of establishing a search for truth. The text is very bound in itself and still intermediates with the reader, which is fascinating. The book could in general be seen as a radicalization of Descartes' idea of the Infinite in the Finite as it asks what conditions this possibility, which will be suggested to be the fear for the other. Transcendence and the possibility of truth is made possible through responsiveness/responsibility. The question "Does God exist?" will be shown to be overshadowed and determined by the inevitable question "Why suffering rather than something better?".

There is a lot of cross-referencing to both philosophical and theological works that requires some extra reading of the reader. Some things that appears and I suggested to be read before that makes it easier to read and understand the arguments are Otherwise than Being, maybe an overview of phenomenology or such to understand how Levinas enters dialogue with Husserl and the other guys, some Heidegger - at least to get an overview of the notions there and the massive critique executed by Levinas, some insight of "Old Testament" to get the theological connotation, some Cartesian meditations to see the limit of thinking, some Augustinus to get a sense of how Levinas discusses truth and time, some overview of Hegel to understand why Levinas suggests that Hegel is implying a violent ideology, some Nietzsche to get how Levinas try to push philosophy beyond humanism/anti-humanism and moralism/anti-moralism, some Plato and Aristoteles to understand what Levinas thinks has gone wrong in philosophizing about language, some Weil to grasp what Levinas is aiming at with "waiting" and "passing time".

With that said, the book might present itself and its argumentation without having read the mentioned. This is why the book is greater than its content.

[C. Quabela · Rating 5 out of 5]

This collection is a cogent explication of Levinas’ theological position all the while framing it within the context of his larger phenomenology. If you come into his works attempting to “master” them or “understand” everything, you will be doomed. Levinas’ thought is not so much a content as it is a relation. A connaitre as opposed to a savoir.

I began with this volume before I undertook Totality and Infinity and then Otherwise Than Being because I have always had an innate aversion to theological thinking or justifications. Therefore, I approached this work as a way to conceptualize the infinite phenomenologically. Whether or not Levinas would be okay with one divesting his philosophy of the theological implications is a worthwhile thought, but for me it is essential to evaluating the whole. For a philosophy faith should not be the glue that binds it, though it may be a motivating force.

The essay “God and Philosophy” was particularly helpful in this regard. Levinas is, to my understanding, grounding phenomenality within the essential passivity of the infinite which is the foundation of subjectivity. This gets at what my hang-up is with most theological discussions. To me, if there are no implications for our ontological constitution, then metaphysical notions of God are at best superfluous. To me, the question of the existence of God is irrelevant compared to life-as-it-is-lived. What I find exciting about Levinas, however, is how he establishes a horizontal ethics that has no trace of hierarchy even within its conception of a God-head. So much theology establishes a power structure such that its ethics inherently establishes an order of power which becomes reflected in one’s relations with another. Of utmost importance to understanding this though is through the terms: immanence, transcendence, and proximity. It is a grounding of an ethico-ontological system wherein the nearness of the other is affirmed by one’s own transcendence which reciprocally grounds each other in the immanence of the infinite, or God.

[Mia · Rating 4 out of 5]

Emmanuel Levinas discusses at length and in depth each individual's connection to other people, particularly in 'The Thinking of Being and the Question of the Other'. He posits and intrinsic and symbiotic duty of each person to one another. It takes the concept of responsibility to a revolutionary level. I suspect that some things are lost in translation (it's originally in French) but it is nonetheless extremely thoughtful, extensive and reasoned.

[Naomi]

I would give it a rating if I understood what he's saying. The idea of elevating religion and individual life to the ethical through means of an interruption by the other is fascinating - but good grief, Levinas. My kingdom for some examples sprinkled throughout your phenomenology.

[Sleibhin · Rating 5 out of 5]

I can recommend "Hermeneutics and Beyond". I have only read selections.