Levinas, Judaism, And The Feminine: The Silent Footsteps Of Rebecca

Book Summary

Challenging previous interpretations of Levinas that gloss over his useof the feminine or show how he overlooks questions raised by feminists, Claire EliseKatz explores the powerful and productive links between the feminine and religion inLevinas's work. Rather than viewing the feminine as a metaphor with no significancefor women or as a means to reinforce traditional stereotypes, Katz goes beyondquestions of sexual difference to reach a more profound understanding of the role ofthe feminine in Levinas's conception of ethical responsibility. She combinesfeminist interpretations of Levinas with interpretations that focus on his Jewishwritings to reveal that the feminine provides an important bridge between hisphilosophy and his Judaism. Katz's reading of Levinas's conception of the feminineagainst the backdrop of discussions of women of the Hebrew bible points to importantshifts in contemporary philosophy toward the creation of life and care for theother.

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