Director: Richard A. Cohen (University at Buffalo, NY, USA &Vilnius University, LT)

Assistant Directors of Seminar: Prof. James McLachlan (Western Carolina University, NC, USA) and Assoc. Prof. Jolanta Saldukaityte (Vilnius University, LT)

Invited speaker: Assoc. Prof. Danutė Bacevičiūtė (Vilnius University, LT)

Topic Description:

Contrary to philosophy’s normal epistemological predilection, both Kant and Levinas argue for “the primacy of practical reason,” for “ethics as first philosophy,” finding morality at the root of all intelligibility.  Yet for Levinas moral imperative arises as responsible response to the other person’s alterity while for Kant it arises as dutiful respect for law in the other and oneself.

Through explication of texts and discussion, this seminar aims to clarify the grounds and some of the moral and political consequences of their agreement and disagreement.

Schedule of Events:

Monday July 15

9:45am registration

I. 10:30am-12:00 noon

OPEN LECTURE:  RICHARD A. COHEN (USA): “WHAT IS EASY AND WHAT IS DIFFICULT IN LEVINAS”

12-1:30pm lunch

II. 1:30-3:00pm: Kant, 3^rd Antinomy, Critique of Pure Reason, A444/B472-A451/B479 [Richard Cohen]; end of 2^nd Section & 3^rd Section, Foundations of the Metaphysics of Morals, 441-463 [Nur Betül Atakul (Turkey)]; Levinas, “Primacy of Pure Practical Reason” [Matthew Koshak (USA)]

III. 3:30-5:00pm: cont. 

Tuesday July 16

IV. 10:00am – 12 noon: Levinas, “Freedom and Command” (1953); in Collected Philo Papers, ed. Lingis, 15-23 [Irina Poleshchuk (Finland), Gediminas Zelvaras (Lithuania)]. 

12-1:30pm lunch

V. 1:30 – 3:00pm: Levinas, “The Rights of Man and the Rights of the Other” (1985); in Levinas, Outside the Subject, 91-98 [Sean Lawrence (Canada), Devorah Wainer (Australia)].

VI. 3:30 – 5:00pm: cont. [Anto Varghese (India), Patrick Andre Corpuz Mencias (Philippines)]

Wednesday July 17

VII. 10:00am – 12 noon:

OPEN LECTURE: DANUTĖ BACEVIČIŪTĖ (LITHUANIA), “EVIL AND THE ETHICAL IMPERATIVE IN KANT AND LEVINAS”   

12 – 1:30pm lunch

1:30pm – suggested group visit to Kaunas, Levinas’s birth city.

Thursday July 18

VIII. 10:00am – 12 noon

Levinas, from “Substitution,” subsection 5 “Before Freedom,” in BPW. 93-95; Levinas, from God, Death and Time, “The Radical Question Kant Against Heidegger,” last 3 pages, 59-61. 
Jolanta Saldukaitytė, Nur Betül Atakul, Anto Varghese, Matthew Koshak, Femke Caers

Levinas, Otherwise than Being or Beyond Essence: “Responsibility for the Other” (9-11), Essence and Signification” (11-14); “Sensibility” (14-15)
Richard Cohen, Devorah Wainer, Gediminas Zelvaras, Irina Poleshchuk, Patrick Andre Corpuz Mencias

Kant, “Perpetual Peace,” in Kant: Political Writings, ed. Reiss, 99 (on freedom, equality); 116-122, on morality, politics, right and might
James Mclachlan, Christian Peter Rößner, Andrzej (Andrew) Karpiński, Sean Lawrence

12 – 1:30pm lunch

IX. 1:30 – 3:00pm: three groups, cont. 

X. 3:30 – 5:00pm: Jolanta Saldukaityte (Lithuania) “Freedom and Responsibility”; group “reports”. 

Friday July 19

XI. 10:00 – 12 noon:

Levinas, “Humanism and An-Archy” (1968); in Levinas, Humanism of the Other, 45-57 [Andrzej Karpinski (United Kingdom)].

12 – 1:30pm lunch

XII. 1:30 – 3:00pm: cont. [Femke Caers (Belgium)]

XIII. 3:30 – 5:00pm      Concluding remarks.

This year seminar is a part of the research project “The Reception of Emmanuel Levinas’ Thought in Contemporary Philosophical Discourse” funded by the Research Council of Lithuania (grant Nr. S-LIP-22-62) & Institute of Philosophy at Vilnius University

LPSS Participants 2024

Andrzej (Andrew) Karpiński, MPhil in Theology

Trinity College, University of Oxford, United Kingdom

Anto Varghese, PhD student

Indian Institute of Technology Madras (IITM), India

Devorah Wainer, Dr

The University of Sydney, Australia

Femke Caers, Abridged Research Master

KU Leuven (H.I.W.), Belgium

Gediminas Zelvaras, PhD student

Lithuanian Culture Research Institute, Lithuania

Irina Poleshchuk, PhD

University of Helsinki, Finland

Matthew Aaron Koshak, PhD student

Georgetown University, Washington DC, USA

Nur Betül Atakul, Assist. Prof.

Ankara Yıldırım Beyazıt University, Ankara-TURKEY

Patrick Andre Corpuz Mencias, MA

Far Eastern University, Manila, Philippines

Sean Lawrence, Assoc. Prof.

The University of British Columbia, Faculty of Creative and Critical Studies, Canada

Ten scholars of philosophy and/or political philosophy – professors and graduate students – will be accepted to participate in this round-table seminar.

To apply send:

(1) A detailed résumé, curriculum vitae, or brief biography with contact information for two professional references; (2) An application essay which should address your interest, both academic and personal, in the subject to be studied; qualifications and experiences that equip you to do the work of the seminar and to make a contribution to a learning community.

Send these as email attachments to: Levinas.center@gmail.com

Applications are reviewed on a rolling basis from the present time until deadline, until all ten places are filled. A limited number of auditors will also be accepted. Please indicate if you are applying as an auditor.

Application deadline: April 14, 2024. 

All applicants will be notified no later than April 21, 2024.

There is no registration fee.  The LPSS provides no financial support.

Sponsor:

This year seminar is a part of the research project “The Reception of Emmanuel Levinas’ Thought in Contemporary Philosophical Discourse” funded by the Research Council of Lithuania (grant Nr. S-LIP-22-62) & Institute of Philosophy at Vilnius University

Jolanta Saldukaityte
Vilnius, Lithuania
levinas.center@gmail.com