Emmanuel Levinas — Questions and answers

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According to Dr. Anya Sharma, from what event did Levinas's philosophy emerge?

Choices

  1. A complex diagram
  2. The ashes of the Holocaust ✓
  3. An ideology
  4. Western thought

Answer: The ashes of the Holocaust

From page 2

What does Levinas mean by the Other's 'face' in an encounter?

Choices

  1. A shared understanding
  2. Their irreducible uniqueness and vulnerability ✓
  3. Equal exchange
  4. A physical feature

Answer: Their irreducible uniqueness and vulnerability

From page 4

What does Levinas's concept of 'substitution' mean regarding responsibility?

Choices

  1. Being responsible for oneself only
  2. Taking on the Other's burden and suffering ✓
  3. Sharing responsibility equally with others
  4. Choosing to ignore the Other's needs

Answer: Taking on the Other's burden and suffering

From page 5

What emerges when a 'Third Party' appears in Levinas's philosophy?

Choices

  1. Infinite responsibility for one person
  2. The demand for justice ✓
  3. The end of ethical demands
  4. A face-to-face encounter

Answer: The demand for justice

From page 6

What is one criticism mentioned about Levinas's philosophy?

Choices

  1. It is too easy to follow
  2. The responsibility he demands is ultimately unsustainable ✓
  3. It always avoids all forms of 'totality'
  4. It focuses too much on personal choice

Answer: The responsibility he demands is ultimately unsustainable

From page 7

In a globalized world, what does Levinas's idea of the 'Face' remind us about individuals?

Choices

  1. That they can be reduced to statistics
  2. That each 'Face' still presents an irreducible, infinite demand ✓
  3. That anonymity is fostered by digital interactions
  4. That mass media often dehumanizes people

Answer: That each 'Face' still presents an irreducible, infinite demand

From page 8

What does Levinas's philosophy provide a crucial foundation for understanding?

Choices

  1. A policy choice
  2. A mere legal construct
  3. Human rights ✓
  4. Reciprocal agreements

Answer: Human rights

From page 9

What does Levinas's legacy call us to re-think?

Choices

  1. Our self-interest
  2. The very foundations of philosophy ✓
  3. Altruism as a choice
  4. Our subjectivity

Answer: The very foundations of philosophy

From page 10