Levinas & The Asymmetrical Relation

LEVINAS THE ASYMMETRICAL RELATION 'Ethics precedes ontology' is a phrase that sums up the thought of Levinas. He proposes a highly original philosophy in place ol the longstanding ontological tradition. A philosophy which 'totalizes' man according to general categories and concepts gradually becomes totalitarian in nature. He concluded that Nazi totalitarianism was the fruit of such monolithic thinking. His experience of the Holocaust and its aftermath only confirmed the validity of his new proposal. Levinas insists on the asymmetrical element of the relation between the self and the immediate Other, wherein the self is called to assume ethical responsibility for the Other in a non-reciprocal way Importantly, Levinas insists that it is ethics that prompts justice, not the other way around. The socio-political order is ultimately founded on an ethical responsibility towards the Other. With its appreciation of alterity, plurality and multiplicity, Levinas' philosophy clearly promotes the dignity of the human person.