Levinas Philosophy Summer Seminar (3)

Directed by Richard A. Cohen
July 8 to 12, 2013
Vilnius, Lithuania

Themes of the 2013 Seminar:

The ethical philosophy of Emmanuel Levinas (1906-1995) represents one of the most profound and innovative contributions of 20th century thought. Levinas calls for a fundamental reorientation of life and thinking according to which not knowledge, or even aesthetics, but ethics – the elevation of the good – would be recognized as „first philosophy.” The defining mark of ethics, however, would no longer lie in a concern for self, for self-esteem or the quest for happiness. Rather ethics would originate in the more difficult primacy of the other person, as moral responsibility to and for the other person, to care for the other, and ultimately as responsibility to and for all others, the call of justice.

The Levinas Philosophy Summer Seminar is an annual one-week long summer seminar of research and discussion. The program begins July 2013, in Vilnius, Lithuania, birth country of Levinas. In the summer of 2014 it will be held in Buffalo, New York, USA. Each summer the focus will be on a different aspect of Levinas’s philosophy. The seminar is composed of ten invited scholars, selected from applicants from around the world, and is directed by Professor Richard A. Cohen. It is anticipated that at least one guest lecturer will also address the seminar.

Thursday, July 11th

Richard A. Cohen „Face of the Other – Responsibility”

Discussion after „Face of the Other – Responsibility”

Raluca Badoi “Infinity & Face,” “Ethics and Face” („Totality and Infinity“, 194-201 p.)

Viktoras Bachmetjevas “Discourse & Ethics” („Totality and Infinity“, 72-78 p.)

Levinas Philosophy Summer Seminar:

Monday, July 8th
Tuesday, July 9th
Wednesday, July 10th, „Levinas and aestetics”
Thursday, July 11th
Thursday, July 11th, „JOYFUL ETHICS”
Friday, July 12th