The grammar of Levinas’ other, Other, autrui, Autrui: Addressing translation conventions and interpretation in English-language Levinas studies

Abstract

I will in this article aim to highlight an issue in interpretation of Levinas: that his address to his central concern for the ‘other’ has been deemed inconsistent, yet might well have been approached unfairly. The issue arises in English scholarship, in that translation of Levinas’ four terms for otherness was adapted into ‘conventions’ that changed over time. While aiming to be respectful and protective of the Levinas community, I will closely track that evolution of conventions over four decades, to follow some of their consequences. In so doing, I suggest how re-orientating the approach to Levinas’ central terms could facilitate study of Levinas and a more accepting Levinasian culture.