Answer to Question #279472 in Philosophy for Hutchii

Question

Explain the invitation for openness and generosity that comes in a face to face encounter.

Answer 1

Ethically, people are responsible to one-another in the face-to-face encounter. Lévinas says that the human face "orders and ordains" us. It calls the subject into "giving and serving" the Other. In the face-to-face encounter we also see how Lévinas splits ethics from morality. Ethics marks the primary situation of the face-to-face whereas morality comes later, as some kind of, agreed upon or otherwise, set of rules that emerge from the social situation, wherein there are more than just the two people of the face-to-face encounter