Journal Of Chinese Philosophy Serial Online - 1077 Words

Prefer this criterion for 4 reasons 1. The obligation to the Other is a moral imperative, it functions on the same level as the â€Å"ought† in the resolution. Jun 8 - Jun F. On Là ©vinas s Ethics. Journal Of Chinese Philosophy [serial online]. December 1, 2008;35(4):549-560. Available from: Philosopher s Index, Ipswich, MA. Accessed September 14, 2014. Second, the face [of the other] bears a request and a need, in which resides the vulnerability of the face. The face is an open hand that seeks compensation. It needs something, and asks me for something. This means that the other needs me and anticipates me. The other is poor, which is more severe than being weak. Being poor is the superlative of being weak. The other is so weak that he [they]†¦show more content†¦Ã¢â‚¬Å"He is not a force but an authority.† 11 Authority without force: this is a paradox of authority and of morality. An authority can make demands on one and request one to behave in the proper way. However, he cannot force one to act in this way. This is the character of â€Å"ought† in morality, which can only provide the value one requests. Nevertheless, it is a law and thus is too impoverished to punish one 2. The criterion is a prerequisite to justice. Jun[2] Last, the face is a synonym of justice. The face bears value and personality. Ethics is a direct and unmediated relation. The direct relation to the other is justice itself. Justice means the directness of the face-to-face. In Totality and Infinity, Là ©vinas employs the word justice to refer to ethics and the relation between two people. 25 Ethics is synonymous with justice, because apart from the relation to the other and from ethics, we cannot have justice. Justice is the way in which we respond to the face. Therefore, justice is the same as ethics; it is the necessary condition for breaking away from totality. 3. Our ethical relation with the Other is the prerequisite for other framework. Jun[3] The relation to the other is a topic of ethics. Such a relation does not pursue possession through representation as done in the system of knowledge and truth; instead, it aims at acknowledging an appeal that makes demands on me, and at making an accusation that seeks my punishment. The relation to