Emmanuel Levinas: His Life and Legacy

Description

Emmanuel Levinas, one of the twentieth century's most eminent ethical philosophers and religious thinkers, introduced to French philosophy the idea of the other as the rupture of the same, the idea that was to become the foundation of late twentieth century continental thought. Originally published in French, Emmanuel Levinas: His Life and Legacy provides the only in-depth biography to appear in English of this interesting thinker, whose influence has continued to grow since his death in 1995. Salomon Malka, a journalist and student of Levinas's for three decades, devoted five years to the researching and writing of this biography, which details Levinas's childhood in Lithuania, his prewar years in Paris, his studies with Edmund Husserl and Martin Heidegger, his years as a German prisoner of war during the Holocaust, his paneling at the Vatican and in the streets of Tel Aviv, and his teaching career at the École Normale Israélite Orientale and the Sorbonne in Paris. This informative biography follows the ascent of Emmanuel Levinas from solitary thinker to one who is universally influential, and includes personal accounts of his family, friends, colleagues and students. It is essential reading for all those interested in Levinas and his thought, but also for anyone who wishes to better understand contemporary continental thought and its foundations and implications. Front Cover Back cover Title page Contents Foreword by Philippe Nemo Translator's Notes by Michael Kigel Acknowledgments Departure Introduction I. Places 1. Kaunas 2. Strasbourg Allô 3. Freiburg-im-Breiscau 4. Paris 5. Captivity The trace 6. The Enio Years 7. The Rashi Course 8. The Talmudic Lesson An encounter II. Faces 9. The Ferryman and the Meteor 10. The Bad Genius 11. The Double and the Opposite So to speak 12. The Near and the Far 13. The Archivist and the Precursors 14. The Aristocrat and the Cardinal Glimmers 15. Ritual and the World 16. Montaigne and Boétie 17. Gogol's Nose Tea 18. Recognition 19. Levinas in Jerusalem Yom Kippur Notes Notes to Translator’s Notes Notes to Chapter 1, “Kaunas” Notes to Chapter 2, “Strasbourg” Notes to Chapter 3, “Freiburg-im-Breisgau” Notes to Chapter 4, “Paris” Notes to Chapter 5, “Captivity” Notes to Chapter 6, “The Enio Years” Note to Chapter 7, “The Rashi Course” Notes to Chapter 8, “The Talmudic Lesson” Notes to Chapter 9, “The Ferryman andthe Meteor” Notes to Chapter 10, “The Bad Genius” Notes to Chapter 11, “The Double and theOpposite” Notes to Chapter 12, “The Near andthe Far” Notes to Chapter 13, “The Archivist andthe Precursors” Notes to Chapter 14, “The Aristocrat andthe Cardinal” Notes to Chapter 15, “Ritual andthe World” Notes to Chapter 16, “Montaigne andBoétie” Notes to Chapter 17, “Gogol’s Nose” Notes to Chapter 18, “Recognition” Notes to Chapter 19, “Levinas inJerusalem” Bibliography Index