The Face of the Other: Levinas and the Ethics of Infinite Responsibility
Levinas puts responsibility to the Other before ontology. You'll work through the face, infinity, and substitution and ask whether ethics can come first.
Steps
- 1
- Reading· ~11 min
Responsibility, Substitution, and the Hostage
How Levinas's later work radicalized his ethics, and what infinite responsibility actually demands.
Complete the previous step first
- Text Explore· ~8 min
The Face Opens the First Discourse
Read Levinas's key formulations on the face, infinity, and obligation.
Complete the previous step first
- Argument Map· ~10 min
Ethics as First Philosophy
Map Levinas's argument from the failure of ontology to the primacy of the face.
Complete the previous step first
- Dialogue· ~10 min
Dialogue with Levinas
Probe the radical claim that you are infinitely responsible for every Other.
Complete the previous step first
- Reflection· ~8 min
Reflection: Whose Face Do You See?
Reflect on the ethical weight of the Other's presence in your own life.
Complete the previous step first
Complete the Reflection step in this path to rate it and share your thoughts in the comments.