Nietzsche and Levinas on the ethics of subjectivity
My project is an exploration of the ethics of subjectivity as proposed by Friedrich Nietzsche and Emmanuel Levinas, and it evolved from the question of whether subjectivity is experienced essentially as an unfolding of the will to power from within one's own being to act on the outside, or whether it is primarily a formation based on an intrinsically passive exposure to exteriority. In the first part I descriptively laid out Nietzsche's and Levinas's conceptions of subjectivity. I began with portraying Nietzsche's naturalistic account in which the human subject is basically an organism which functions based on its inherent will to power to interpret, shape and dominate its environment. Levinas's interpretation of the human subject, on the other hand, is unapologetically anthropocentric and fundamentally inter-subjective, according to which the subject gains its identity by responding to the Other without expecting reciprocity. Levinas provocatively refers to the religiosity of the human soul by emphasizing that it is only through sociality that one truly realises one's moral capacity. In the second part, I critiqued the two philosophers' accounts from each other's view points. I posed a Levinasian criticism
Keki, Basak
B0841.6 Subjectivity
Nietzsche and Levinas on the ethics of subjectivity. My project is an exploration of the ethics of subjectivity as proposed by Friedrich Nietzsche and Emmanuel Levinas, and it evolved from the question of whether subjectivity is experienced essentially as an unfolding of the will to power from within one's own being to act on the outside, or whether it is primarily a formation based on an intrinsically passive exposure to exteriority. In the first part I descriptively laid out Nietzsche's and Levinas's conceptions of subjectivity. I began with portraying Nietzsche's naturalistic account in which the human subject is basically an organism which functions based on its inherent will to power to interpret, shape and dominate its environment. Levinas's interpretation of the human subject, on the other hand, is unapologetically anthropocentric and fundamentally inter-subjective, according to which the subject gains its identity by responding to the Other without expecting reciprocity. Levinas provocatively refers to the religiosity of the human soul by emphasizing that it is only through sociality that one truly realises one's moral capacity. In the second part, I critiqued the two philosophers' accounts from each other's view points. I posed a Levinasian criticism
nietzsche levinas ethic subjectivity project exploration ethic subjectivity propose nietzsche emmanuel_levinas evolve question_whether subjectivity experience essentially unfolding power within act outside whether primarily formation base intrinsically passive exposure exteriority first_part descriptively lay nietzsche levinas conception subjectivity begin portray nietzsche naturalistic account human subject basically organism function base inherent power interpret shape dominate environment levinas interpretation human subject hand anthropocentric fundamentally inter subjective accord subject gain identity respond without expect reciprocity levinas refer religiosity human_soul emphasize sociality truly realise moral capacity second_part critique philosopher account view point criticism