Lévinas Emmanuel - Emmanuel Lévinas : a philosophy of exile

Emmanuel Levinas

Bloomsbury Studies in Continental Philosophy

Bloomsbury Studies in Continental Philosophy is a major monograph series from Bloomsbury. The series features first-class scholarly research monographs across the field of Continental philosophy. Each work makes a major contribution to the field of philosophical research.

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Adornos Poetics of Critique, Steven Helmling

Badiou and Derrida, Antonio Calcagno

Badiou, Marion and St Paul, Adam Miller

Being and Number in Heideggers Thought, Michael Roubach

Crisis in Continental Philosophy, Robert Piercey

Deleuze and the Genesis of Representation, Joe Hughes

Deleuze and Guattari, Fadi Abou-Rihan

Deleuze and Guattaris Philosophy of History, Jay Lampert

Derrida, Simon Morgan Wortham

Derrida and Disinterest, Sean Gaston

Derrida: Ethics Under Erasure, Nicole Anderson

Domestication of Derrida, Lorenzo Fabbri

Encountering Derrida, Simon Morgan Wortham

Foucaults Heidegger, Timothy Rayner

Foucaults Legacy, C. G. Prado

Gabriel Marcels Ethics of Hope, Jill Graper Hernandez

Gadamer and the Question of the Divine, Walter Lammi

Gilles Deleuze, Constantin V. Boundas

Heidegger and Authenticity, Mahon OBrien

Heidegger and Happiness, Matthew King

Heidegger and a Metaphysics of Feeling, Sharin N. Elkholy

Heidegger and Philosophical Atheology, Peter S. Dillard

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Heidegger, Politics and Climate Change, Ruth Irwin

Heideggers Early Philosophy, James Luchte

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Nietzsche and the Anglo-Saxon Tradition, Louise Mabille

Nietzsches Ethical Theory, Craig Dove

Nietzsches Thus Spoke Zarathustra, James Luchte

Phenomenology, Institution and History, Stephen H. Watson

Ricoeur and Lacan, Karl Simms

Sartres Phenomenology, David Reisman

Simultaneity and Delay, Jay Lampert

Thinking Between Deleuze and Kant, Edward Willatt

Whos Afraid of Deleuze and Guattari? Gregg Lambert

iek and Heidegger, Thomas Brockelman

Emmanuel Levinas

A Philosophy of Exile

Abi Doukhan

Bloomsbury Academic

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First published 2012

Abi Doukhan, 2012

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or any information storage or retrieval system, without prior permission in writing from the publishers.

Abi Doukhan has asserted his/her right under the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act, 1988, to be identified as Author of this work.

No responsibility for loss caused to any individual or organization acting on or refraining from action as a result of the material in this publication can be accepted by Bloomsbury Academic or the author.

British Library Cataloguing-in-Publication Data

A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library.

ISBN: 978-1-4411-0225-6

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Doukhan, Abi.

Emmanuel Levinas : a philosophy of exile / Abi Doukhan.

p. cm. (Continuum studies in Continental philosophy)

Includes bibliographical references (p. ) and index.

ISBN 978-1-4411-9576-0 (hardcover) ISBN 978-1-4411-3624-4 (ebook pdf) 1. Levinas, Emmanuel. 2. Other (Philosophy) I. Title.

B2430.L484D68 2012

194dc23

2012010141

Contents

Acknowledgments

This book had its beginnings in my dissertation, which I defended in 2008 at the University of Paris X-Nanterre under the direction of Catherine Chalier. My first words of gratitude go out to her, for the inspiration of her own work and teachings, her infinite patience as I tentatively developed as a writer and thinker over the years of dissertation writing, her impeccable intellectual integrity in her evaluation and critique of my work, and finally, the risk she took in taking me on as a PhD candidate coming from the United States and still rather new to the French academic scene.

My journey into the philosophy of Emmanuel Levinas did not begin in France, however, but rather in the American Midwest, at Michigan State University where I first encountered philosophy. I am deeply indebted to Professor Richard Petersen for his keen intuition of my philosophical persona and interests and for his orienting me to the philosophy of Emmanuel Levinas. I owe him the beginnings of my philosophical journey and am grateful to him for this. I thank him also for directing my BA thesis thereby nurturing my first philosophical attempts at the philosophy of Levinas. Finally I am grateful for my entire experience as a student of philosophy in a department which played a great part in kindling in me a passion for philosophical concepts and ideas.

The ensuing two-year experience of studying philosophy at the University of Paris IV-Sorbonne and the privilege of listening to some of the most beautiful ex-catedra lectures on French philosophy remains one of the most beautiful experiences of my life. My fond memories go back to Professor Marquet for his humble and unassuming yet brilliant presence and teachings on the philosophies of Hegel and Bergson. I also remember with pleasure the classes of Jean-Luc Marion and his uncanny way of trudging through medieval texts tailed by an amphitheater of 300 students. I owe him the art of struggling with a text and a meticulous attention to the written word. Finally, I recall fondly Professor Darriulat for his entranced and passionate presentations on Greek philosophy.

The next seven years as a PhD candidate at the University of Paris X-Nanterre were a baptism of fire whereby I morphed from a mere lover of wisdom to a philosophy professional. I am indebted to the philosophy department for accepting me as a candidate at a very late notice. I also recall with pleasure the classes of Catherine Chalier and Didier Frank whose unassuming scholarship and attention to text have stayed with me ever since. I also want to thank Professors Emmanuel Housset, Jean-Michel Salanskis, and Edvard Kovac for accepting to be members of my dissertation committee and for making my defense a memorable experience. I especially fondly recall the gentlemanly gesture of Dr Kovac who, during the break, offered his handkerchief to dry my hands as I shakily came back from the womans room.

My first job on American soil was offered to me by Elon University. I am deeply indebted to the Elon philosophy department for believing in me and for nurturing my first steps as a young philosophy professional. I am especially grateful to Elsebet Jegstrup for her friendship and mentoring, as well as to Ann Cahill for seeing my potential and walking me through my first book proposal. I recall with pleasure the many conversations on Levinas philosophy with other members of the philosophy department which played an important role in my fine-tuning certain ideas and arguments. Finally, I am indebted to Elon Universitys 2010 Spring Term Levinas class for serving as guinea pigs for my first explication of what would constitute the major themes of this book. Their intellectual curiosities as well as the sharpness of their questions and critiques have been very helpful in articulating the initial draft of this book.