In Search of the Good Life: Emmanuel Levinas, Psychoanalysis and the Art of Living

by Paul Marcus

Overview

Emmanuel Levinas (1906-1995), French phenomenological philosopher and Talmudic commentator, is regarded as perhaps the greatest ethical philosopher of our time. While Levinas enjoys prominence in the philosophical and scholarly community, especially in Europe, there are few if any books or articles written that take Levinas's extremely difficult to understand, if not obtuse, philosophy and apply it to the everyday lives of real people struggling to give greater meaning and purpose, especially ethical meaning, to their personal lives. This book attempts to fill in the large gap in the Levinas literature, mainly through using a Levinasian-inspired, ethically-infused psychoanalytic approach.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780367106447
Publisher:	Taylor & Francis
Publication date:	06/14/2019
Pages:	228
Product dimensions:	6.00(w) x 9.00(h) x (d)

Table of Contents

Introduction: Levinas, psychoanalysis, and the art of living the good life , “I'm just wild about Harry!” A psychoanalyst reflects on his relationship with his dog , Victory through vegetables: self-mastery through a vegetarian way of life , Long night's journey into day: on tending to a dying mother , On reading a sacred book: the wisdom of Ecclesiastes and its significance for psychoanalysis , "Guard your tongue": on the psychological meaning of gossip , The life and soul of good parenting: on wanting, having, and raising children , On feeling altogether miserable: getting help through psychotherapy , All you need is love: on the difficulties of sustaining an adult-to-adult love relationship , Looking for God in all the right places: on developing an “adult” religious outlook

Editorial Reviews

"If you are looking for one book about the humanizing philosophy of Levinas that is both intelligible and accessible — that beautifully and profoundly shows its psychological and sociological applicability to everyday life — In Search of the Good Life is it."

William Helmreich

"If you are looking for one book about the humanizing philosophy of Levinas that is both intelligible and accessible — that beautifully and profoundly shows its psychological and sociological applicability to everyday life — In Search of the Good Life is it."

From the Publisher