美學整體與倫理無限

Aesthetic Totality and Ethical Infinity

本譯文旨於探討藝術與文學作品在列維納斯倫理哲學中所扮演的角色。許多評論家質疑，藝術作品是否真能如列維納斯所言，提供讀者一個探究倫理學的入口。在列維納斯的作品中，讀者不難發現這位當代哲學家對於藝術作品的嚴厲評論，然而羅賓斯（Jill Robbins）強調，不可因此斷言列維納斯對藝術作品的看法。在其早期作品中，列維納斯便主張將藝術作品理論化。列維納斯認為，評論必須寄生於藝術作品之上。無論是評論的「復興」或「哲學家的評論」皆代表著「將藝術的非人性（inhumanity）與倒置性（inversion）整合至人類生命為必要的干涉」。在此文中，羅賓斯透過閱讀數篇列維納斯的各時期作品，深入探討列維納斯對於藝術作品的見解。

This translated paper aims to discuss the importance of works of art and literature in Levinas’s Philosophy. Though the connection among philosophy, art and literary works is ambiguous, still numerous critics question whether the work of art gives access to the ethical, as Levinas understands. Throughout his writing, Levians’s harsh assessment of the work of art is evident; nevertheless, we cannot judge Levinas with such a stable view on the matter according to Jill Robbins. In his earlier works, Levinas theorizes the work of art explicitly and in a sustained way. He describes criticism as “parasitic” upon the work of art. Robbins points out the fact that a rehabilitated or what Levinas calls a “philosophical criticism” would represent “the intervention of the understanding necessary for integrating the inhumanity and the inversion of art into human life.” In this paper, Robbins, through reading various Levinas’s works, helps us to explore Levinas’s ethical interpretation regarding works of art.