The Ethical Value of the Inhumanity in Art A Levinasian Reading


 Reality and its Shadow, a brief yet powerful essay written in 1948, is the only text where Emmanuel Levinas (1906-1995) deals solely with ontology of art. Already this early text, we can see how his understanding that ethics ground philosophy drives discussion. The nature art therefore treated relation to what it does, ethically, subject, maker, viewer. Art “inhumanity” “inversion” ethics. Only philosophical criticism reintegrates ethical relation. strength Levinas’s issues from pre-cognitive commitment “other”, epitomised “face face” Any emphasising primacy subject over above “other” crumbles under reading. Yet same implies those domains obscured lead irresponsibility. One such domain In I argue by applying mature work he advances Shadow find value virtue “inversion”. That is, agree leads irresponsibility, ascribe positive Levinas's own terms. This help concretise tension between unethical aspects within Levinasian framework.