Altared Ground; Levinas, History, Violence

by Brian Schroeder

A pressing concern for contemporary society is the issue of violence and the factors that promote it. In Altared Levinas, History and Violence Brian Schroeder considers Emmanuel Levinas' claim that the history of Western philosophy is essentially an ontology of violence and assesses its accuracy through an engagement with the philosophies of Plato, Hegel, Nietzsche, Heidegger, Merleau-Ponty, Derrida, Deleuze, among others. Not merely an exposition of Levinas' original and complex thinking, Schroeder rereads the history of Western philosophy and religion by going beyond Levinas' alternatives to traditional theories of the self in order to suggest a notion of subjectivity that is not grounded in violence. This interdisciplinary work will appeal not only to philosophers but also to those interested in theology, religious studies, and social-political thought.

224 pages, Paperback

First published February 29, 1996

Reviews

[Salvatore Familia]

One of the most pressing concerns for contemporary society is the issue of violence and the factors that promote it. In Altared Ground: Levinas, History and Violence Brian Schroeder stages an engagement between Emmanuel Levinas, one of the leading figures in 20th century Continental philosophy, and Plato, Hegel, Heidegger, Nietzsche, Merleau-Ponty, Derrida and others in the history of ideas. Not merely an exposition of Levinas' original and complex thinking, Brian Schroeder seeks to re-read the history of Western philosophy and religion by going beyond Levinas' alternatives to traditional theories of the self in order to suggest a notion of subjectivity that is not grounded in violence.