| Synopsis: |
In this major collection of essays, Emmanuel Levinas, a leading philosopher of the 20th century, considers Judaism's uncertain relationship to European culture since the Enlightenment, problems of distance and integration. The book includes five Talmudic readings from between 1981 and 1986, essays on Franz Rosenzweig and Moses Mendelssohn, and a discussion with Francoise Armengaud which raises questions of central importance to Jewish philosophy in the context of general philosophy. This work brings to the fore the vital encounter between philosophy and Judaism, a hallmark of Levinas' thought. These books are seminal works of the finest minds in Western thought, including Adorno, Badiou, Derrida, Heidegger and Larkin. They are works of such power that they changed the cultural mind when they were written and continue to resonate today - landmark texts in the fields of philosophy, literature, popular culture, politics and theology - strikingly designed, accessibly priced. |