Humanism of the Other

InHumanismoftheOther,EmmanuelLevinasarguesthatitisnotonlypossiblebutofthehighestexigencyofunderstandone\'shumanitythroughthehumanityofothers.Inpaperbackforthefirsttime,Levinas\'sworkhereisbasedinanewappreciationforethicsandtakesnewdistancesfromphenomenology,idealism,andskepticismtorehabilitatehumanismandrestoreitspromises.PainfullyawareofthelonghistoryofdehumanizationthatreacheditsapotheosisinHitlerandNazism,Levinasdoesnotunderestimatethedifficultyofreconcilingoneselfwithanother.Thehumanityofthehuman,Levinasargues,isnotdiscoverablethroughmathematics,rationalmetaphysics,orintrospection.Rather,itisfoundintherecognitionthattheotherpersoncomesfirst,thatthesufferingandmortalityofothersaretheobligationsandmoralityoftheself.