Martin Heidegger and Emmanuel Levinas have as much agreement as they do discord. One of these point of common ground with different stances is the topic of being in the world as being with others.
Heidegger famously termed this type of being "Mitsein" (see detailed explanation in the link). Levinas builds upon Heidegger's concept of Mitsein by emphasizing the ethical implications of human existence as "being-with" others. For Levinas, the fact that we are always already "with" others means that we have a fundamental responsibility towards them. This responsibility arises from the recognition of the other person as a subject with their own thoughts, feelings, and experiences, rather than as an object to be used or manipulated.
In contrast to Heidegger, who emphasizes the way that human existence is shaped by its relations to the world and to other people, Levinas focuses on the way that our relations with others are inherently ethical. He argues that our encounter with the other person is not just a matter of being in the same physical space or participating in the same social practices, but of recognizing the other person's inherent dignity and worth.
Being with infinity
This recognition of the other person's inherent worth is what Levinas calls "infinity," and it is this infinity that gives rise to our responsibility towards others. According to Levinas, this responsibility is not something that we choose or decide upon, but is something that arises from the very fact of our being-with others. It is a fundamental aspect of what it means to be human.
In this way, Levinas's concept of responsibility builds upon Heidegger's notion of Mitsein by emphasizing the ethical dimension of human existence. While Heidegger focuses on the way that we are always already "with" others, Levinas emphasizes the way that this "being-with" gives rise to a fundamental responsibility towards others.
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*This text was created with the aid of OpenAI’s GPT-3 model and modified by the author.
