Difficult Freedom: Essays on Judaism (Johns Hopkins Jewish Studies) [Paperback]

Emmanuel Levinas (Author), Seán Hand (Translator)

Book Description

Series: Johns Hopkins Jewish Studies | Publication Date: October 28, 1997

Jean Paul Sartre hailed him as the philosopher who introduced France to Husserl and Heidegger. Derrida has paid him homage as "master." An original philosopher who combines the insights of phenomenological analysis with those of Jewish spirituality, Emmanuel Levinas has proven to be of extraordinary importance in the history of modern thought. Collecting Levinas's important writings on religion, Difficult Freedom contributes to a growing debate about the significance of religion—particularly Judaism and Jewish spiritualism—in European philosophy. Topics include ethics, aesthetics, politics, messianism, Judaism and women, and Jewish-Christian relations, as well as the work of Spinoza, Hegel, Heidegger, Franz Rosenzweig, Simone Weil, and Jules Issac.

Editorial Reviews

Review

Insofar as these confessional writings continue to a certain extent Levinas's meditations on the face, they are considered essential to a serious appraisal of his work as a whole. But there are additional reasons why these writings are of substantial interest. First, they make explicit a dimension in Levinas's work—its inspiration in or reference to Judaism—that is only implicit in the philosophical work... Secondly, these confessional writings in themselves constitute a remarkable access to and 'translation' of Judaism.

(MLN )

Book Description

Contributes to a growing debate about the significance of religion—particularly Judaism and Jewish spiritualism—in European philosophy.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 320 pages
• Publisher: The Johns Hopkins University Press (October 28, 1997)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 080185783X
• ISBN-13: 978-0801857836
• Product Dimensions: 8.3 x 5.5 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #234,246 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

18 of 19 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A collection highly memorable and engaging, April 30, 2000

By 

ODB (USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Difficult Freedom: Essays on Judaism (Johns Hopkins Jewish Studies) (Paperback)

Emmanuel Levinas takes Jewish thought to new levels, adding very new, yet very ancient ways of thinking into his works. He has several highly recognized works in the philosphy world- "Time and the Other", amd "Existence and Existents", but his works that build directly off of Jewish thought (such as this one) are my favorites. He manages to cut through the shell of everything and shed a beautiful yet heavy light on life.... I think it would be more fitting to put a Levinas quotes from Difficult Freedom in this review, and let you see for yourself.

"At the dawning of the new world, Judaism has the consciousness to possess, through its permanence, a function in the general economy of Being. No one can replace it. Someone has to exist in the world who is as old as the world. For Judaism, the great migrations of the people , the migrations among the people and the upheavals of history have never presented a deadly threat. It always found what remained to it. It has a painful experience of living on; its performance accustomed it to judging history and refusing to accept the verdict of a History that that proclaimed itself judge. Perhaps Jewish thought in general consists today in holding on more firmly than ever to this permanence and this eternity. Judaism has traversed history history without taking up history's causes. It has the power to judge, alone against all, the victory of visible and organized forces - if need be in order to reject them. Its head may be held high or its head may be down, but it is always stiff-necked. This temerity and this patience, which are as long as eternity itself, will perhaps be more necessary to humanity tomorrow or the day after tomorrow than they were yesterday or the day before." Difficult Freedom, p.166

12 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars difficult to read, perhaps, but will open up new worlds!, August 24, 1998

By A Customer

This review is from: Difficult Freedom: Essays on Judaism (Johns Hopkins Jewish Studies) (Paperback)

Several essays on Jewish issues and a brief and quirky, incomplete autobiography of Levinas, perhaps the finest thinker in post-modern Jewish philosophy. In this little volume are commentaries on Biblical and talmudic material, thoughts about current philosophical trends, what it means to be a Jew in the modern and post-holocaust world by a thoughtful survivor, and his unique wordplay. This book will shake your assumptions to their foundations. Never a casual read, but amazing to study.

4 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Levinas attitude to Judaism, April 6, 2006

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Bookworm (New York) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Difficult Freedom: Essays on Judaism (Johns Hopkins Jewish Studies) (Paperback)

Emmanuel Levinas came from an orthodox Lithuanian background but left for France in the 1930' to study with Edmund Husserl and Martin Heidegger in Germany. In time he developed his ethical theory of "The Other" for which Levinas is famous today. He remained an observant Jew all his life but seperated strictly his involvement in the Jewish community with his academic life as professor of philosophy at the Sorbonne. He even published his "Jewish" books with a different publisher than his "philosophical" books. "Difficult Freedom" is a collection of his view on a variety of topics concerning Judaism, Zionism, Israel, God and is a fascinating read.