Lévinas’ substitution – substantial service for the other?
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.15633/lie.1791Keywords:
Lévinas, substitution, service, love, mercy, messiahAbstract
This paper examines the central theme of Lévinas’ ethics, namely, substitution. It compares it first to various forms of love: love‑eros, friendship, spousal love, and finally Christian love‑agape. Then, taking into account the question of mercy, it discusses two approaches to service: a purely human one and a religious one. Such a parallel, according to the author, allows a better understanding of substitution, which appears henceforth as a service rendered to the other rather than a love of the other. Unlike love, service is primarily a work performed. It does not require reciprocity or intimate knowledge, which are two essential aspirations of love. Substitution is nevertheless an extraordinary service, because it is „total”: it is willing to save the other, taking him entirely on itself, like a messiah. But is this type of service possible?References
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