RE: The problem of 'We' - a reflection on the philosophy of Emmanuel Levinas
I was hoping for someone (you:) making an analyses which mine was not.
I was speculating and gave a totaly subjective view and observation of mine.
So thank you to do the job precisely which actually I also did not do. LOL.
You gave me the present of a new term: "agency"- never have heard of it in this meaning and never would have come up with it. Still, I have some difficulties to translate it in my lazy brain which doesn't like to use a word like this in a total different meaning, except it hit's me like a hammer.
"Agency" I sort of think of spies, lies, advertisement & government.
What I liked about me using "authority" in this case is rather for disturbance not so much accuracy - why? When I heard the first time Alan Watts talking about "authority" and how he back tracked the term I got fascinated by it. Until then I never dared to touch the word. It was censored by me - so I happily gained it back and like to throw it in. To give my readers the pleasure having the same experience.
"Agency" does have though some disturbance quality for me and maybe it now will stick to my pool of using English language.
What else did I notice. I guess I was a little hurt by you throwing out my wonderful "authority" and replacing it with "agency". But I overcame it already and now like to give you the credit your article deserves:
Not only does ist provide historical knowledge and a deep digging into the subject, it also delivers explanation of the possible psychological causes.
You are a true writer and a caliber which I am not. I see the milage of writing hours and practice in you on a professional level. So you are going to be my teacher and inspirational guide (I warned you:-)
What I gain from your reply is how beautiful this experiment can be to know nothing about a stranger and not force questions upon the other which quickly categorize him or her for the sake of giving me security - without having the experience to feel superior or inferior: what is left?
Thank you @nobyeni for another fresh dialogue on this crazy block chain.
Yes, 'agency' is a strange word maybe. But I'm all for reappropriating words to give them a new meaning... Another type of disturbance you seem to be liking ;-)
And thank you for your reading, your sharing of this space of learning. What is left, to continue to strive to create this space where I and the Other can both exist on their own terms. I do think Levinas doesn't go far enough in his philosophy, he doesn't say much about what we can actually do to create this space. But I felt that would be too much to go into in an exploratory post like this...
The "what" can be done, activates my psyche-button.
Did you ever heard of the method of "active listening"? To let the Other and myself be, was one module of my education and it surprised me a lot that methods & teachings were already that far.
We practiced to listen to the flow of words from another one without interrupting - which is nothing special, right? But we also were asked by our teacher to not inwardly start to evaluate or to judge what our "client" was telling us. Just to sit, be still and take in the presence of one another.
I tried that out later on in my professional practice with "real clients" and it often worked to an extend I wouldn't have assumed. What I do, is watching my breathing and whenever a thought of excitement, sadness, anger, prejudice etc. comes up, I name it, acknowledge it and then let it go. That always has an immediate effect on the quality of the meeting. Though it is tough to remember when I am not stable.
With writing and communicating here it is different. No physical presence involved. Makes it sometimes harder, sometimes easier.
Yes, I do that too with my students when I try to let them experience this. I use the Meisner technique, which originates in theatre as an acting-method. Very similar to what you describe, I think.
Cool, you know the name of it!
Maybe this WAS from the Meisner technique, I cannot remember.