Levinas and the Wisdom of Love: The Question of Invisibility - Softcover

Beals, Corey

Softcover

ISBN 10: 1602583382 ISBN 13: 9781602583382

Publisher: Baylor University Press, 2010

Synopsis

Directly challenging the prevailing interpretation, Corey Beals explores the ideas of twentieth-century philosopher Emmanuel Levinas's concept of love, love's relation to wisdom, and how love makes the Other visible to us. Distinguishing love from other types of wisdom, Beals argues that Levinas's "wisdom of love" is a real possibility, one which grants priority to ethics over ontology.

About this title

About the Author:

Corey Beals is Assistant Professor of Philosophy and Religion at George Fox University.

Review:

This lucid and accessible interpretation of Levinas' thought is a splendid gift to newcomer and old-timer alike. Taking as his keys Levinas's definition of philosophy as 'the wisdom of love in the service of love' and his use of the ancient tale of the ring of Gyges, Beals helps us see that this philosophy of radical responsibility is more demanding than we would like to admit but not so excessive that we can dismiss it as hyperbole.

(Merold Westphal, Distinguished Professor of Philosophy, Fordham University)

This volume succeeds in relating phenomenality to the ethics of service. Service makes itself visible in the practical orientation towards the neighbour, a service which originates in a summons from the other. The work is clearly set out, well-written and footnoted. The author is in command of the subject, and this offers a further reading of the relation between love, service, and visibility.

(Michael Purcell, School of Divinity, University of Edinburgh)

The author sees and quite clearly presents the limitations of the major alternative reading in the secondary literature, the tiresome but oft repeated Derridean-deconstructive appropriation of Levinas. Beals understands the all important priority Levinas gives to ethics over ontology, and thankfully is not grinding some ideological ax. His Levinas is, basically, in my opinion, Levinas.

(Richard A. Cohen, Isaac Swift Distinguished Professor of Judaic Studies, University of North Carolina at Charlotte)

About this edition

• Publisher: Baylor University Press
• Publication date: 2010
• ISBN 10: 1602583382
• ISBN 13: 9781602583382
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 180