Levinas: Thinking Beyond Transcendence and Superiority - Essay Sample

Introduction

Lavinas was a French philosopher and most prominent among European Jewish intellectuals in the second half of the 20th century. In his work, Alterity and Transcendence, he tries to rethink the idea of superiority through relationships with other human beings. Lavinas argument situates itself against the importance of outdated thinking about transcendence as 'moving beyond' intervened through the sacred. According to Lavinas, the notion of transcendence has metamorphosed. Within the modern ideology of the subject whereby it becomes the structure of subjectivity intimately. The philosopher, Lavinas, scrutinizes the results when transcendence is placed within the philosophy of the matter. Lavinas thinking of face to face relation reveal human face as the locus of transcendence. Therefore, face-to-face connections must be viewed as the basis of superiority. Through Lavina's work of 'alterity and transcendence, human beings discover 'the face' concept. Therefore, this paper discusses 'the face' of human beings, 'the face' concept applies to human beings' situations, and its importance.

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The Face

The face concept in 'Alterity and Transcendence' is widely discussed, but the essay focusses mainly on Chapter 6 'The Proximity of the Other.' According to Lavinas, bumping into the other person through the face is the key to a person's conscience. Lavinas puts forward a question, what does the face offer to people when they stare at the other person? What does the face imply? And when people approach the face, what does it say? He sees the face as defenseless and naked, making it vulnerable and exposed to dangers of all kinds (Lavinas 99). Despite the facial weakness, nakedness, and lack of defense mechanism, it prevents a human being from slaughtering one another. The face is not 'seen; it can only be embraced by a person's thought processes.

The face has a lot of power, takes a human being beyond, and the relationship with the face is moral. The face and speech are intertwined, face speaks, talks, and the spirit of the individual makes it possible and initiate conversations. The human face acts as a word of God's channel. According to Levinas, ' the face 'means the human face not experienced as a physical object, but the first, natural, unreflective encounter with the other person's face as their living presence, experienced ethically and socially (Lavinas 103). The' living presence' that the other individual is exposed to human beings and expresses themselves merely by being there, as a reality beyond visual images. Through living presence, the other human being is revealed in different ways, such as gesture, bodily existence, action, and speech. Still, his face is the most exposed, most vulnerable, and most expressive aspect of other's presence. When human beings meet, they say 'hello' to one another, this word addressing the other person is an appeal.

The alterity of the face commands human beings. The extraordinary exteriority of the face gives human beings responsibilities to the face. The alterity of the face of the other person calling out an individual. The voice that emerges with before all verbal expressions, within the human beings and from their faintness depth, is known as sociality. The sound is a command; an individual through the voice is commanded for the life of other people. Therefore, lacking the right to leave them alone to their death. Contact with the face drives human beings to practice morality as to them; it has a meaning (Lavinas 105). The look is exposed due to its nakedness, and it doesn't matter if the face belongs to a titled, famous, or straightforward person, it's all the same. The mortality comes to light underneath the expression of the face to a point where some human being gets the desire to end it. The face boldly gives an order of 'Thou shall not kill.' The things differentiating the face in its status from every known object originates from its differing nature, it's all authority and weakness.

When people say they are performing their duty, it's untruthful, as they are never dismissed concerning the other being. It is difficult to say no to the substantial responsibility towards the other person. Therefore, a person is forced to avail themselves toward the other by saying, 'I am here or 'I am available.' A responsibility sticks and once more in the future as always with the ambiguity of getting it. The burden is assigned, presented, and committed to a person before the discussion, even before being committed to themselves (Lavinas 104). Being answerable for the other is something outrageous because it means that if the other person does something, human beings are the ones who are liable. Before the measures of justice, human beings are responsible for the wrongdoings of the face. The face holds human beings hostages as once you come into contact, it's hard to abandon them. Most people say they have done all they could when they have done nothing yet, this feeling in their conscience of doing nothing gives beings the hostage status with a duty to the innocent party.

Application of 'the Face' Concept Today

Today several countries are always at war, giving rise to poverty, lack of basic needs such as food, medication, and shelter. The face of the other people makes human beings come together, and aid in eliminating poverty and keep the vulnerable safe. These unfortunate people are homeless, sick, and starve, therefore making them weak. The face defenseless face of these poor people forces human beings with the capability to strive towards making sure they are okay (Lavinas 107). In a scenario when war erupts, poverty strikes, children and adults die while others run for their lives. On seeing they're underneath expression in the face, human beings are commanded to help.

Despite the command, guilt feeling of not doing anything kills them deep down, making them become hostages to the face. By donating food, shelter, and medicine plus upkeep money. Most human beings help these refugees not because the government commands them to do so, but due to the authority of the face of the other. They have a responsibility to ensure the hungry are fed and the sick are given medical attention, as well as protection. The morality within the mortality of human beings makes them feel guilty if they fail the face.

Significance of 'the Face'

The face is has meaning to human beings; most people feel obligated to assist in times of crisis. Besides the command of 'Thou shall not kill,' the laws governing a country prohibit manslaughter; human being killers get life jail time, implying the face of the other has value (Lavinas 100). The lawmakers felt obliged toward protecting the face due to its nakedness and its defenselessness nature. The laws are meant to keep the face safe from prying eyes.

Naturally, moral compass with human beings makes them want to protect their faces with everything they have got. Financial aid during a disaster such as war, flood, and disease outbreak originates from all corners and different people. They want to help and save face from death and give it a good healthy life. From deep down, human beings help the face of others in trouble without caring if the other will reciprocate.

Conclusion

The face of the other human being, with its nakedness, defenseless, mortality, and vulnerability command beings to protect and defend it from harm. The commanded responsibility by the face holds people hostage; they have to oblige and stick with it no matter the situation. The human conscience also makes it difficult to abandon their duty to the face. In the modern world, the face concept application is evident when beings voluntarily offer aid to the needy when poverty strikes. People feel they have a duty to protect innocent beings; it's their moral code.

The face of the other have so much value to an extent the governments draft and make laws to protect. The face acts as a channel of God's word to other human beings. Lavinas philosophy alienates the reader from the common thought of viewing a person's face as an object but rather persons living presence. The face has superiority; it orders human beings against killing them. Human beings have a choice to leave the other person in trouble, but they instead stay to help despite the likeliness of reciprocating.

Works Cited

Emmanuel, Levinas. "Alterity and Transcendence/trans. Michael B. Smith." (1999). Pg 97-107.

Petrilli, Susan. The self as a sign, the world, and the other: Living semiotics. Routledge, 2017.