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by Colin Davis

Author:	Colin Davis
Subcategory:	Philosophy
Language:	English
Publisher:	Polity Press (November 22, 1996)
Pages:	176 pages
Category:	Politics
Rating:	4.7
Other formats:	txt lit lrf rtf

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Colin Davis gave me the introduction to Levinas that I truly needed.

series Key Contemporary Thinkers.

Davis's book has many merits. The style is spare, modest and clear. Key Contemporary Thinkers.

ISBN: 978-0-745-66612-9 May 2013 Polity 176 Pages. Davis's book has many merits. The scholarship is extremely accurate throughout, a task which is obviously helped by Davis's perfect knowledge of French, which enables him to comprehend and convey the singular quality of Levinas's prose. Provides a detailed exposition of Levinas's thought and the philosophical landscape in which it is situated, involving a clear and patient discussion of his major works.

This is an excellent introduction to Levinas's writings . It will appeal as much to students of literary theory and rhetoric as to those whose initial interest is in the philosophical, ethical, and religious aspects of Levinas's thought. In this much-needed introduction, Davis unpacks the concepts at the center of Levinas's thought - alterity, the Other, the face, infinity - concepts which have previously presented readers with major problems of interpretation. Comprehensive and clearly written, this book is essential reading for students and teachers in Continental philosophy, French studies, literary theory, and theology.

Levinas: An Introduction (Key Contemporary Thinkers): ISBN 9780745612621 . Coauthors & Alternates.

Levinas: An Introduction (Key Contemporary Thinkers): ISBN 9780745612621 (978-0-7456-1262-1) Hardcover, Blackwell Publishers, 1996.

Key contemporary thinkers) Includes bibliographical references and index. ISBN 0-7456-1007-2 (HB)--ISBN 0-7456-1008-0 1. Benjamin, Walter,.

Similar books and articles. Levinas: An Introduction. Colin Davis - 1996 - University of Notre Dame Press. Stella Sandford - 1998 - Radical Philosophy 87:49-50. Levinas's Jewish Thought: Between Jerusalem and Athens.

In this much-needed introduction, Davis unpacks the concepts at the .

In this much-needed introduction, Davis unpacks the concepts at the centre of Levinas"s thought - alterity, the Other, the Face, infinity - concepts which have previously presented readers with major problems of interpretation. Davis traces the development of Levinas"s thought over six decades, describing the context in which he worked, and the impact of his writings.

At first, Sean Hand's book appears to be quite amateurish, complete with textbook-style information boxes that tell the reader some basic information, such as who Plato and Aristotle were, and what words like "ontology" and "ethics" normally mean. It comes across as just another basic introduction to Levinas's philosophy. This introduction to Levinas is particularly useful for a number of reasons.

In recent years there has been a resurgence of interest in the work of Emmanuel Levinas, widely recognized as one of the most important yet difficult philosophers of the 20th century. In this much-needed introduction, Davis unpacks the concepts at the centre of Levinas's thought - alterity, the Other, the Face, infinity - concepts which have previously presented readers with major problems of interpretation. Davis traces the development of Levinas's thought over six decades, describing the context in which he worked, and the impact of his writings. He argues that Levinas's work remains tied to the ontological tradition with which he wants to break, and demonstrates how his later writing tries to overcome this dependency by its increasingly disruptive, sometimes opaque, textual practice. He discusses Levinas's theological writings and his relationship to Judaism, as well as the reception of his work by contemporary thinkers, arguing that the influence of his work has led to a growing interest in ethical issues among poststructuralist and postmodernist thinkers in recent years. Comprehensive and clearly written, this book will be essential reading for students and researchers in continental philosophy, French studies, literary theory and theology.

Comments:

Nkeiy

As mentioned by other reviewers this is a master of an introduction: clear, ordered, insightful and not willing to compromise depth for clarity. I've read other introductions to Levinas but none like this one. It is a must if you want to start understanding the complexities of one of the major thinkers of our time.

Ballagar

Good book to gain philosophical perspectives in nursing

Unde

My students read Levinas every semester and the hermeneutic
tradition in phenomenology can be tough going for them.
This short introduction is the very best prelude to the
thinking of this enormously influential scholar that I've
found.

Ckelond

Colin Davis gave me the introduction to Levinas that I truly needed. Without pandering to graduate students scrambling to produce a thesis, nor to professors eager to publish articles full of "Levinasian" jargon, this book thoroughly insinuated the spirit of Levinas's thought into the innermost recesses of my heart. After reading it, I was ready to give "Totality and Infinity" a second whack, which, in retrospect, turned out to be exponentially more productive than the first.

Davis does an excellent job of inducting his readers into the "Levinasian atmosphere", sensitizing them to the subtle stylistic details which really are every bit as important, if not more so, than the all-too-easily-formalizable "acknowledge the other"/"beware of egoism" cheeseballs that most of Levinas's commentators are so happy to toss around. While these are good and valid points, they're pretty hackneyed, and don't really teach us anything we didn't already learn in kindergarten. Worse, they leave Levinas's philosophy vulnerable to the army of Heideggerian and Analytic dogmatists who are more than happy to use these sound(text?)bites as evidence of Levinas as a "weak" philosopher", incapable of providing any lasting insight.

Davis, on the other hand, has written a lovely little book which rewards a patient and open-minded reading. Conceptually, it's not too difficult, in that Davis does a very good job of cutting through the jargon to share Levinas's attitude in the language of the everyman. Emotionally, however, it can be quite a slog. In his writing, Davis requires the reader to take a good, hard look at many things they probably hadn't wanted to look at. Strongly recommended.

Xarcondre

Davis' book takes the reader through Levinas' major works clarifying some of the ideas that have puzzled readers for some time. His discussions on "Totality and Infinity" include expositions of the central ideas and, more importantly, thoughts regarding Levinas' writing style. Davis describes the "Levinas effect" which is often the product of reading his difficult prose. This effect is the tendency of interpreters to use Levinas in order to forward their own ideas. Davis argues that this effect shows us how Levinas has the ability to take the reader beyond Being since the text is constantly questioning and often frustrating the reader. This ability to question the reader is a reflection of the relationship that exists between the "Same" and the "Other," the relationship with which Levinas spent his life writing about. Most importantly, Davis' book takes the reader through other works by showing their relationship to "Totality and Infinity," Levinas' magnum opus. In summary, an essential aid in understanding the thinker because of its chronological discussions of Levinas' major works, from essays on Heidegger and Husserl to the writings on Rabbinic Judaism.

Vinainl

I am very pleased with this book. Davis begins by orienting Lev's work within Husserl's phenomenology and distinguishes Lev from Heidegger. So many thinkers are difficult to comprehend because lousy intro books don't place them in context. Davis elegantly relates the role of ethics in distinction to Heidegger's concerns. He goes deeper by discussing the influence of Descartes and Kant leading to Lev's postmodern ethic. Davis writing is direct, yet still conveys passion for Lev's accomplishments. Finally, he consistently iterates that he is in some ways doing a disservice to Lev by paraphasing his work into a meager introduction. It may have disserved Lev, but it sure helped me and many others. Great book I highly recommend.

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