The Cambridge Introduction to Emmanuel Levinas

Reviews / Votes

'The writings of Emmanuel Levinas deserve a place as central to the discipline of moral philosophy. Michael Morgan's riveting study provides a point of access available to all. Crossing the range of Levinas's thought, Morgan provides [a] model of philosophical elaboration: patient, interrogative, and, at every turn, argumentatively suggestive. This book immediately takes its place as the best introduction to Levinas's philosophy available.' J. M. Bernstein, New School for Social Research 'Morgan provides a clear and comprehensive introduction by situating Levinas's thought within three contexts: problems about the authority of ethics and normativity faced by other recent philosophers from the Anglo-American as well as the Continental traditions; Levinas's two corpora, consisting of philosophical and Jewish writings; and the atrocities of the twentieth century. The result is as helpful to newcomers as it is illuminating to those who are already familiar with Levinas's challenging philosophy.' Paul Franks, University of Toronto 'Situating Levinas's thought within twentieth-century debates on the sources of normativity, The Cambridge Introduction to Emmanuel Levinas argues for the originality of Levinas's position as an account of ordinary life and what it is to live that life meaningfully and morally. Michael Morgan makes Levinas's writings approachable without sacrificing their philosophical complexity or the depth of the ethical experience they attempt to convey. His book sharpens the terms of debate over Levinas's ethics, brings new and important voices into the conversation, and challenges readers to move beyond standard interpretations. More than a simple introduction, this book is a deftly guided tour of the thorniest issues confronting those who seek to understand Levinas and his work. Morgan has brought us a book destined to change how we read Levinas today.' Diane Perpich, Clemson University