Can the historical event of the Holocaust be thought of philosophically through and in the works of Emmanuel Levinas? Since Levinas’s ethical philosophy has often been understood as a general...Show moreCan the historical event of the Holocaust be thought of philosophically through and in the works of Emmanuel Levinas? Since Levinas’s ethical philosophy has often been understood as a general response to the historical event of the Holocaust, philosophy and history seem to meet in Levinas’s later philosophical works. This thesis questions the way in which the historicity of the Holocaust can be understood in Levinas’s philosophical work. In this research, the notion of 'respect' will appear to be crucial. Ultimately, I aim to answer the question as to whether, and if so, to what extent, Levinas's insistently nonhistoricist philosophical approach to the Holocaust can really respect the Holocaust and its victims as such, that is, in their historicity.Show less
