Lévinas, Emmanuel

Abstract

The philosophy of Lévinas has two central sources-one Jewish, the other Greek (i.e., philosophy). There are moments in his thought in which these two traditions are in conflict, as in the famous contrast Lévinas draws between Abraham and Ulysses. Ulysses, struggling to return home, strives to reunite with his past, to make the past his again, whereas Abraham leaves his home and his past, never to return. This opposition is a metaphor representing the pivot of Lévinas' thought. He attempts to … Users without a subscription are not able to see the full content. Please, subscribe or login to access all content.