All the Rest Must be Translated: Lévinas’s Notion of Sense

Journal of Chinese Philosophy 35 (4):599-612 (2008)
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Abstract

This paper examines an aspect in Levinas’ thinking that has rarely been brought into scholarly discussion: How does Levinas consider the relation between non-Western cultures and Western intellectual tradition? First, I explicate the central notion of sense in Levinas’ essay “Meaning and Sense”. Sense is absolute and transcendent. It precedes and makes possible the meaning of all cultures. Second, I explore Levinas’ discussions of non-Western cultures in some of his essays and interviews. On these occasions, Levinas articulates the view that there is an essential difference between non-Western cultures and Western tradition that is predominantly Judaeo-Greek. In the last section, I consider the role which Levinas’ notion of sense plays in his reflection on the relation between non-Western cultures and Western tradition.

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