Tuesday, May 09, 2006
"I am compelled by the other's presence..."
I just came from a very moving speech by one of my celebrity favorites, none other than Bernard-Henri Lévy.
He spoke about Emmanuel Lévinas, a unique thinker whose philosophy comes from the middle of the twentieth century. In so many ways, Lévinas managed to combine elements that had not been put together before: such as Jewish thought and secular Greek philosophy. But the most interesting party of his philosophy was the way that he spoke about other people. Usually, philosohpy seems like an individual, independent persuit... something one does alone while brooding, with a furrowed brow. True enough. Philosophers before Levinas (including the existentialist avant-garde) strove toward "Being", something called which would make a person feel the most whole and authentic. Sartre made famous the notion of choice--the fact that we are ultimately and absolutely free and filled with choice at every turn. ("The man in chains is as free as his master...")
Levinas, however, spoke of being absolutely entrenched in the presence of "the other"-- of being ethically bound to him or to her. The Other changes my constitution. The face of the Other has the power to transform me.
It's beautiful!
Also, i came home feeling weird, because the Wizard showed up to the talk!
He bothers me.
He was with this girl Sophie from the history department.
She's plain-Jane looking and not very pretty, but she's tall and she's blond, and she's young (NOT AS YOUNG OR AS TALL AS ME) so of course the Wizard could get by with fucking her. (WITH HIS SOFTY OLD MAN DICK)
Sorry to be so explicit.
I miss Flash.
And I hope the Hyde is singing beautifully now at her cabaret!
Love
Hammer
He spoke about Emmanuel Lévinas, a unique thinker whose philosophy comes from the middle of the twentieth century. In so many ways, Lévinas managed to combine elements that had not been put together before: such as Jewish thought and secular Greek philosophy. But the most interesting party of his philosophy was the way that he spoke about other people. Usually, philosohpy seems like an individual, independent persuit... something one does alone while brooding, with a furrowed brow. True enough. Philosophers before Levinas (including the existentialist avant-garde) strove toward "Being", something called which would make a person feel the most whole and authentic. Sartre made famous the notion of choice--the fact that we are ultimately and absolutely free and filled with choice at every turn. ("The man in chains is as free as his master...")
Levinas, however, spoke of being absolutely entrenched in the presence of "the other"-- of being ethically bound to him or to her. The Other changes my constitution. The face of the Other has the power to transform me.
It's beautiful!
Also, i came home feeling weird, because the Wizard showed up to the talk!
He bothers me.
He was with this girl Sophie from the history department.
She's plain-Jane looking and not very pretty, but she's tall and she's blond, and she's young (NOT AS YOUNG OR AS TALL AS ME) so of course the Wizard could get by with fucking her. (WITH HIS SOFTY OLD MAN DICK)
Sorry to be so explicit.
I miss Flash.
And I hope the Hyde is singing beautifully now at her cabaret!
Love
Hammer
# posted by Jessica @ 9.5.06 
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Hammer go read my reply to your last comment you might find it interesting.
I am glad you managed your chance meeting with the Wizard so well. Good for you.
I am glad you managed your chance meeting with the Wizard so well. Good for you.
# posted by 
: 10:25 PM
: 10:25 PM
I would like to learn more about "the Other." Although I feel compelled to ask about your anger - are you mad at the Wizard, Sophie, or yourself? All three?
I'm sad I missed the Levinas talk. You know I found that idea so inspiring last time we saw BHL. Maybe you can recommend me some reading on it!
As for the Wiz-- he has so little left, I would just ignore him.
I miss Flash too...
:)
h
As for the Wiz-- he has so little left, I would just ignore him.
I miss Flash too...
:)
h
I know you just like being silly,so I can laugh at your daft German Language comment.
But let me remind you that Freud was a Jew and obviously I do not feel the same way about German Jews as I do about German Gentiles.
Hammer if you met my father you would understand what I meant by my German phobia post. My father has a unique talent for argueing his points. It did not help that he lost a large amount of his family to both Franco, Hitler and Stalin. Everytime I go visit him I get a new rendition of some attrocity that was commited by the Nazis.
This is then followed by an explanation of how my mother was the vessel and he was the seed and even though she was not Jewish it does not matter as far as he is concerned I am also a Jew.
I then try to explain to him that many a Rabbi would disagree with him. This is of course is always a mistake on my part because he then does not stop trying to convince me of the contrary for the rest of my holiday.
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But let me remind you that Freud was a Jew and obviously I do not feel the same way about German Jews as I do about German Gentiles.
Hammer if you met my father you would understand what I meant by my German phobia post. My father has a unique talent for argueing his points. It did not help that he lost a large amount of his family to both Franco, Hitler and Stalin. Everytime I go visit him I get a new rendition of some attrocity that was commited by the Nazis.
This is then followed by an explanation of how my mother was the vessel and he was the seed and even though she was not Jewish it does not matter as far as he is concerned I am also a Jew.
I then try to explain to him that many a Rabbi would disagree with him. This is of course is always a mistake on my part because he then does not stop trying to convince me of the contrary for the rest of my holiday.
# posted by : 5:43 PM
: 5:43 PM Subscribe to Post Comments [Atom]
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