Chapter 8. The absence of God
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Silvia Dadà
Abstract
Famously, the dialogical dimension is central to Levinas’ notion of ethical relationship, as the intersubjective relation is interpreted in terms of responsibility, that is, as the answer to the call of the other. This relationship, however, is not exhausted in the I-Thou dimension, but finds its ultimate meaning in a third person, God (illeity). In this article, I am going to consider the role of God in this dialogical dimension, and how this role can contribute in answering the problems of the contemporary debate about interreligious dialogue. In order to do this, I will start by considering the different ways in which Levinas talks about God and about His role in the ethical relationship. In particular, I will focus on the notions of “trace” and “enigma”, and on how these point to the particular mode of being of God that is, to His absence. Indeed, God “comes to mind” in the face of the other man, but He is never directly present: it is a trace that testifies to the passage of something that is not there anymore. This peculiarity of God makes it so that His revelation is never complete but, on the contrary, He conceals Himself to the point of effacement.
Finally, on these grounds, I will consider how this aspect of Levinas’ thought can be useful to develop a strategy for the interreligious dialogue. In particular, I will consider how the fact that God reveals himself with a view to His own effacement has two separate goals: first, to make it so that the responsibility is directed completely at the other man, without being contaminated by the hope for a reward or the fear of a punishment and, secondly, to avoid His Name giving raise to conflicts.
Abstract
Famously, the dialogical dimension is central to Levinas’ notion of ethical relationship, as the intersubjective relation is interpreted in terms of responsibility, that is, as the answer to the call of the other. This relationship, however, is not exhausted in the I-Thou dimension, but finds its ultimate meaning in a third person, God (illeity). In this article, I am going to consider the role of God in this dialogical dimension, and how this role can contribute in answering the problems of the contemporary debate about interreligious dialogue. In order to do this, I will start by considering the different ways in which Levinas talks about God and about His role in the ethical relationship. In particular, I will focus on the notions of “trace” and “enigma”, and on how these point to the particular mode of being of God that is, to His absence. Indeed, God “comes to mind” in the face of the other man, but He is never directly present: it is a trace that testifies to the passage of something that is not there anymore. This peculiarity of God makes it so that His revelation is never complete but, on the contrary, He conceals Himself to the point of effacement.
Finally, on these grounds, I will consider how this aspect of Levinas’ thought can be useful to develop a strategy for the interreligious dialogue. In particular, I will consider how the fact that God reveals himself with a view to His own effacement has two separate goals: first, to make it so that the responsibility is directed completely at the other man, without being contaminated by the hope for a reward or the fear of a punishment and, secondly, to avoid His Name giving raise to conflicts.
Chapters in this book
- Prelim pages i
- Table of contents vii
- Foreword xi
- Introduction 1
-
Section 1. Philosophies and controversies
- Chapter 1. Leibniz beyond Leibniz 7
- Chapter 2. Locke’s and Leibniz’s virtual debate over Of our knowledge of the existence of God 29
- Chapter 3. Locke and Leibniz on matter and solidity 49
- Chapter 4. How should we think about a trans-cultural hermeneutics? 69
- Chapter 5. Virtues and vices and parts and wholes 85
- Chapter 6. Trajectories and challenges of translating traditional Chinese medicine 105
-
Section 2. Dialogue and controversies
- Chapter 7. Dialogue in philosophical practices 127
- Chapter 8. The absence of God 145
- Chapter 9. Listening to the other 161
- Chapter 10. Controversies on hypercomplexity and on education in the hypertechnological era 179
- Chapter 11. The beleaguered filibuster of the US Senate 201
- Chapter 12. The ruins of the political 217
- Chapter 13. Coordination games and disagreement 241
- Chapter 14. How to solve controversies in scenarios of legal pluralism 261
- Chapter 15. The “water memory affair” 279
- About the contributors 297
- Subject index 303
Chapters in this book
- Prelim pages i
- Table of contents vii
- Foreword xi
- Introduction 1
-
Section 1. Philosophies and controversies
- Chapter 1. Leibniz beyond Leibniz 7
- Chapter 2. Locke’s and Leibniz’s virtual debate over Of our knowledge of the existence of God 29
- Chapter 3. Locke and Leibniz on matter and solidity 49
- Chapter 4. How should we think about a trans-cultural hermeneutics? 69
- Chapter 5. Virtues and vices and parts and wholes 85
- Chapter 6. Trajectories and challenges of translating traditional Chinese medicine 105
-
Section 2. Dialogue and controversies
- Chapter 7. Dialogue in philosophical practices 127
- Chapter 8. The absence of God 145
- Chapter 9. Listening to the other 161
- Chapter 10. Controversies on hypercomplexity and on education in the hypertechnological era 179
- Chapter 11. The beleaguered filibuster of the US Senate 201
- Chapter 12. The ruins of the political 217
- Chapter 13. Coordination games and disagreement 241
- Chapter 14. How to solve controversies in scenarios of legal pluralism 261
- Chapter 15. The “water memory affair” 279
- About the contributors 297
- Subject index 303
