Thinking and Learning with Emmanuel Lévinas

The French-Jewish philosopher Emmanuel Lévinas proposed that ‘ethics is first philosophy’ and is thus the source of meaning and intelligibility of life. Lévinas argued that existence is above all obligated by an ethical imperative of compassion linked to the responsibility commanded by the ‘trace of Grace’ in the face of each Other being we encounter. Using Michael Fagenblat’s book—‘Covenant of Creatures.  Levinas’s Philosophy of Judaism’ ( https://www.sup.org/books/title/?id=17902 )—as a guide, we will explore how Lévinas comes to this conclusion by integrating insights derived from both Judaism and postmodern secular philosophy.

Dr. Gary Goldberg (he/him/his) is a retired physician who specializes in brain injury medicine. Contemplation of the challenges of his work in assisting persons with brain injury to achieve their full functional potential led him to investigate various insights drawn from the esoteric tradition in Judaism, the Kabbalah, along with various other sources shedding light on human consciousness and personhood. He has lectured on the connections between Kabbalistic principles, human consciousness, and the function and structure of the human brain.