Peperzak, A: Beyond the Philosophy of Emmanuel Levinas

Although Emmanuel Levinas is widely respected as one of the classic thinkers of our century, the debate about his place within Continental philosophy continues. This fascinating study of his philosophy illuminates the originality of his methods and shows how his thought radically alters the landscape of philosophical inquiry.In Beyond: The Philosophy of Emmanuel Levinas, Adriaan Peperzak shows Levinas's thought to be a persistent attempt to point beyond the borders of an economy where orderly interests and ways of reasoning make us feel at home -- beyond the world of needs, beyond the self, beyond politics and administration, beyond logic and ontology, even beyond freedom and autonomy. Peperzak's examination begins with a general overview of Levinas's life and thought, and shows how the issues of ethics, politics, and religion are intertwined in Levinas's philosophy. Peperzak also discusses the development of Levinas's relations with Husserl and Heidegger, demonstrating thematically the evolution of both Levinas's anti-Heideggerian view of technology and his critical attitude toward Nature.This is an extended consideration of the full range of Levinas's thought. As such it is a major contribution to Continental philosophy whose impact will be felt not only by philosophers but by theologians and readers engaged in cultural studies as well.