Education and the Face of the Other

Levinas, Camus and (mis)understanding

Bibliographic Data

ID8857985
AuthorsP Roberts (0000-0003-4408-5125, University of Canterbury, corresponding author)
Year2013
Volume45
Issue11
Pages1133-1149
Publication date2013-03-15
Peer ReviewedYes
Open AccessNo
TypeARTICLE
VenueEducational Philosophy and Theory (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 0013-1857 • E-ISSN: 1469-5812
PublisherTaylor & Francis (PUBLISHER • GB)
DOI10.1080/00131857.2013.772706
OpenAlexW1964499660
LanguageEN
Citations received4
References cited21

Among the most neglected of Albert Camus' literary works is his play The misunderstanding. Composed while Camus was in exile in occupied France, and first performed on stage in 1944, The misunderstanding depicts the events that unfold when a man returns, without declaring his identity, to a home he left 20 years ago. Unrecognized, he is killed by his mother and sister for financial gain. This article draws on ideas from Emmanuel Levinas in identifying and discussing some of the key ethical and educational themes in the text. It is argued that the forms of misunderstanding evident in Camus' play mirror those exhibited in pedagogical institutions such as schools. The misunderstanding demonstrates that what is often missing in our communicative relations is careful attention to the Other. Camus does not offer us any easy way out when confronting the impossibility of fully knowing ourselves and others; instead, he shows that we must acknowledge the suffering this brings and take responsibility for it

Aesthetics · Epistemology · Face (sociological concept · Identity (music · Impossibility · Political science · Psychoanalysis · Sister · Social science · Sociology · Anthropology · Critical and Liberation Pedagogy · Diverse Education Studies and Reforms · Law · Philosophy · Philosophy, Ethics, and Existentialism · Psychology

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