Levinas and Analytic Philosophy: Second-Person Normativity and the Moral Life

This volume explores the relevance of Emmanuel Levinass work to recent developments in analytic philosophy, particularly in metaethics, the philosophy of mind, and the metaphysic of personal identity. It shows how Levinass account of ethics as first philosophy can connect these fields and provide a way of accounting for the irreducibility of personal identity to psychological identity. The essays contribute to ongoing discussions about the metaphysical significance and sustainability of a naturalistic but nonreductive account of personhood.

Format: Paperback / softback
Length: 316 pages
Publication date: 13 June 2022
Publisher: Taylor & Francis Ltd

This comprehensive volume delves into the profound significance of Emmanuel Levinass work in the context of recent developments in analytic philosophy. Contemporary analytic philosophers engaged in metaethics, the philosophy of mind, and the metaphysics of personal identity have embraced viewpoints akin to Levinass. Often pursued independently, Levinass account of ethics as first philosophy offers a unique avenue to connect these diverse fields and elucidate how moral normativity permeates the fabric of rationality and personal identity.

In metaethics, the volume explores how Levinass moral phenomenology intersects with recent research on the normativity of rationality and intentionality, shedding light on a wide array of moral concepts such as accountability, moral intuition, respect, conscience, attention, blame, indignity, shame, hatred, dependence, gratitude, and guilt. Furthermore, the volume critically examines Levinass groundbreaking assertion that ethical relations provide a means of accounting for the irreducibility of personal identity to psychological identity. The essays presented herein contribute to ongoing discussions about the metaphysical significance and sustainability of a naturalistic but nonreductive account of personhood.

Moreover, the volume establishes a connection between Levinass second-person standpoint and analogous developments in moral philosophy, highlighting the broader philosophical implications of his ethical and metaphysical insights. By examining the relevance of Levinass work to contemporary analytic philosophy, this volume offers valuable insights into the ongoing exploration of moral, rational, and personal identity.

Weight: 580g
Dimension: 229 x 152 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9781032337494