The riddle of evil in the thought of Emmanuel Lévinas

Authors

  • Márcio Antônio de Paiva Pontifícia Universidade Católica de Minas Gerais
  • Luiz Fernando Pires Dias Pontifícia Universidade Católica de Minas Gerais

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.4013/fsu.2012.132.03

Abstract

This article discusses the riddle of evil, an issue that directly or indirectly permeates the entire philosophical journey of Emmanuel Lévinas. He gave a new dimension to the problem of evil by characterizing it as excess rather than as absence of being. Such restructuring is aligned to the rigorous criticism of the ontological model that is found in his work. Searching for the meaning of human, Lévinas established ethics as prime philosophy, giving precedence to the order of Good, which is previous to being and knowledge and in which a possibility of overcoming evil can be glimpsed. 

Key words: otherness, Good, ethics, Lévinas, evil.

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Author Biographies

Márcio Antônio de Paiva, Pontifícia Universidade Católica de Minas Gerais

Doutor em filosofia pela Gregoriana de Roma e professor do Programa de Pós-Graduação em Ciências da Religião da PUC Minas. Av. Dom José Gaspar, 500 - Prédio 1 - Bairro Coração Eucarístico - BH - MG.

Luiz Fernando Pires Dias, Pontifícia Universidade Católica de Minas Gerais

Mestre em Ciências da Religião e bacharel em Filosofia pela PUC Minas. Av. Dom José Gaspar, 500 - Prédio 1 - Bairro Coração Eucarístico - BH - MG.

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Published

2012-03-12

How to Cite

PAIVA, M. A. de; DIAS, L. F. P. The riddle of evil in the thought of Emmanuel Lévinas. Filosofia Unisinos / Unisinos Journal of Philosophy, São Leopoldo, v. 13, n. 2, p. 134–150, 2012. DOI: 10.4013/fsu.2012.132.03. Disponível em: https://www.revistas.unisinos.br/index.php/filosofia/article/view/fsu.2012.132.03. Acesso em: 23 may. 2025.

Issue

Vol. 13 No. 2 (2012): May/August

Section

Articles

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