Persecution and Morality: Intersections and Tensions between Freud and Levinas

This book explores the concept of persecution as an ethical obligation between individuals, focusing on the works and personal lives of Emmanuel Lévinas and Sigmund Freud. It reconstructs their historical biographies using a phenomenological method to evaluate their opposing claims and suggests that moral actions and relations of persecution in their lives illuminate the epistemic limits of their theories. The author develops an intentionality of search that is sensitive to an unknowable, relational, and existentially vulnerable ethical subjectivity. The interdisciplinary nature of the research is intended for academics, scholars, and researchers interested in psychoanalysis, moral philosophy, and phenomenology.

Format: Paperback / softback
Length: 187 pages
Publication date: 23 April 2022
Publisher: Springer Nature Switzerland AG

This book delves into the intricate relationship between persecution and ethics, exploring how it shapes individuals and their moral obligations towards one another. It defines persecution as an impinging, affective relation that transcends rational understanding, emphasizing its profound impact on human existence. The book focuses on the works and personal lives of two influential figures: Emmanuel Lévinas, a phenomenological ethicist who viewed persecution as an ontological condition for human beings, and Sigmund Freud, the inventor of psychoanalysis, who proposed that a demanding superego acts as a persecuting psychological mechanism that enables individuals to derive sadistic pleasure from moral injunctions.

While scholarship on Freud and Lévinas' work remains critical regarding their objectivity, this book employs a phenomenological approach to transcend this concern and reconstruct their historical biographies. By doing so, it seeks to evaluate their hyperbolically opposing claims and shed light on the epistemic limits they argued contribute to the psychological and ontological necessity of persecuting behaviors. Through an analysis of their personal lives and the inclination to use persecution for moral ends, the book offers valuable ethical warnings and serves as a catalyst for developing the readers' intentionality of search. This intentionality encourages reflection on when and how persecuting means can be employed for moral purposes.

The interdisciplinary nature of this research monograph makes it accessible to academics, scholars, and researchers across various fields, including philosophy, psychology, and ethics. By integrating insights from Freud and Lévinas' theoretical works and examining their lived experiences, the book provides a comprehensive exploration of the complex dynamics of persecution and its ethical implications. It encourages readers to engage in critical thinking and consider the ethical dimensions of their actions and relationships, fostering a deeper understanding of the human condition and the pursuit of moral excellence.

Weight: 320g
Dimension: 235 x 155 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9783030646660
Edition number: 1st ed. 2021