%0 Generic
%A Richter, Silvia
%D 2011
%F heidok:12928
%K Offenbarung , Stille , Cage, JohnLevinas , Rosenzweig , language , philosophy , Judaism
%R 10.11588/heidok.00012928
%T Language, Philosophy and Judaism in the Work of Emmanuel Levinas and Franz Rosenzweig
%U https://archiv.ub.uni-heidelberg.de/volltextserver/12928/
%X The dissertation examines the complex relationship between language, philosophy and Judaism in the work of Emmanuel Levinas (1906-1995) and Franz Rosenzweig (1886-1929) in light of previously unpublished writings of Levinas as well as new research literature. It is mainly thanks to the consideration of previously unpublished writings of Levinas, which appeared only recently in the first two volumes of the edition of his Completed Works, that the new insights presented in this work have come about. These writings provide new perspectives into the development of Levinas's philosophy. Further, results from international research literature, especially on the notion of the voice, have been extensively taken into consideration in order to analyze different aspects of the works of Levinas and Rosenzweig respectively and set them into relation to one another. The work is divided into three parts: - Judaism. The first part (Chapter I) deals with the topic of Judaism. This plays a key role not only in Levinas's writings but also in his life. In this respect, the influence of Franz Rosenzweig, whose major work "The Star of Redemption" (1921) Levinas read in the mid-thirties, is of crucial importance. The emergence and development of this influence will first be discussed through an analysis of Levinas's early work. It examines to what extent the notion of Judaism as a "category of being" ("catégorie de l'être"), which appears in Levinas's captivity notebooks (Carnets de captivité) as well as in his articles on Rosenzweig after the war, can be seen as a result of his reception of Rosenzweig's writings and how this reception furthermore influenced Levinas's thinking after the war. Finally, against the background of the different biographical and historical connections, this dissertation outlines the relationship between Judaism and philosophy in the work of Levinas with special reference to the influence of Rosenzweig. - Philosophy. The second part (Chapter II) outlines the question of the role of philosophy. Firstly, the issue of death is examined in relation to the notion of the "there is" (il y a), which Levinas elaborates upon especially in "De l'existence de l'existant" (1947). In this context the influence of Maurice Blanchot (1907-2003) on Levinas plays a crucial role. The aspect of death is further linked to the notions of eros and creation in the works of Levinas and Rosenzweig. Furthermore, the thesis discusses the temporal mode of eschatology and its special significance for Levinas's thinking, particularly regarding the role of language in his philosophy.     - Language. Part III (Chapter III and IV) is primarily concerned with the topic of "language". In chapter III the connection between language and speech-thinking (Sprach-Denken) in the work of Rosenzweig is elaborated and related to the notion of language in Levinas. Based on Rosenzweig's article "Das neue Denken" (1925) the thesis analyzes what Rosenzweig actually meant by the notion of a "new thinking" (Neues Denken) and how it is reflected in his theoretical and biographical works. Two aspects are emphasized in this analysis: language and revelation. The close connection of these two aspects in the work of Rosenzweig is then set in relation to their role in Levinas. Further, Rosenzweig's concept of a messianic epistemology and his notion of truth are examined. Finally, the role of language is analyzed with respect to Rosenzweig's notion of truth. The silence and the vision of the divine face, as Rosenzweig discusses in the third part of "The Star of Redemption", are shown to be ultimately accorded a higher significance by Rosenzweig than language. The phenomenon of the voice in the works of Levinas and Rosenzweig is worked out in chapter IV. Firstly, the notion of the voice is applied in order to develop a new interpretation of the subject in Levinas's work. In a second step, the complex relationship between revelation, language and love in Rosenzweig's work is examined with special attention given to the role of the "voice of love" in "The Star of Redemption". In this way, the crucial significance of the voice in the act of revelation is outlined. This project demonstrates how the "mute" Self becomes a "speaking" soul and in which way the "voice of love" (Rosenzweig) plays a key role in this context. Each of these aspects is related critically to Levinas's work. Lastly, the thesis demonstrates the significance of the voice in the translation of the Bible, which Rosenzweig undertook together with Buber in 1925. In conclusion, this interpretation of Levinas's and Rosenzweig's thought is placed in the context of postmodern philosophy in order to make it fruitful for the present time.