The riches of Jewish Tradition to all and everyone.
Honoring a Career of Ethical Thought
Richard A. Cohen has been recognized with a new scholarly volume dedicated to his lifelong work on the philosophy of ethics. "The Event of the Good: Reading Levinas in a Levinasian Way" brings together contributions from 21 scholars across the globe and is being published by the State University of New York Press in July 2025.
This 405-page collection honors Cohen’s distinctive interpretations of French philosopher Emmanuel Levinas, a major figure in 20th-century ethical philosophy. The essays span topics like politics, the body, art, immigration and Judaism — all viewed through the ethical lens Levinas helped shape and Cohen has expanded.
Scholar Edith Wyschgrod writes, “Cohen has evolved a register and tone that convey urgency without sacrificing scholarly rigor.” A former student of Levinas at the Sorbonne, Cohen earned his PhD in philosophy in 1980 and has been a professor for 45 years — the last 17 of them at UB.
"The Event of the Good" will be available in paperback starting this September.