Levinas and the Political

Emmanuel Levinas is one of the most influential philosophers of the twentieth century and is best known for his work on ethics and theology. "Levinas and the Political" explores Levinas' early writings in the face of National Socialism through to his controversial political statements on Israeli and French politics. Howard Caygill also explores Levinas' engagement with his contemporaries Heidegger and Bataille, and his re-thinking of the political for an understanding of the significance of the Holocaust.

Howard Caygill systematically explores for the first time the relationship between Levinas' thought and the political. From Levinas' early writings in the face of National Socialism to controversial political statements on Israeli and French politics, Caygill analyses themes such as the deconstruction of metaphysics, embodiment, the face and alterity.He also examines Levinas' engagement with his contemporaries Heidegger and Bataille, and the implications of his rethinking of the political for an understanding of the Holocaust.

Key to Abbreviations Introduction Chapter One: Presentiments of National Socialism Political Horror Liberty, Equality and Fraternity Phenomenology and Freedom Philosophy and National Socialism Guide for the Persecuted Chapter Two: The Post-War Political The Consequences of National SocialismThe Haunted Peace The Critique of Political Ontology: Towards Totality and Infinity 'Being Jewish'/'Being Western': Towards Otherwise than Being Israel: Between Totality and the Ethical Chapter Three: Between War and Peace: the Burdens of Totality and Infinity Totality and War From Lucidity to Vigilance: The Questions of Totality and Infinity War in Peace War and the Other Peace and the 'Work of Justice' Chapter Four: Prophetic Politics or 'Othewise than Freedom' Difficult Freedom Otherwise than Being I: The Ontological Supplement Otherwise than Being II: Proximity and Substitution Illeity and Phophetic Politics The Rights of Man and Citizen Chapter Five: Israel in Universal and Holy History Levinas's Right to Silence The Passion of Israel Israel and Messianic Politics Israel and Jewish Identity Threatening Others Assimilation

Howard Caygill is in the Department of Historical and Cultural Studies at Goldsmiths College.