The Inimitable Philosophy of Vladimir Jankélévitch (Continental Philosophy and the History of Thought)

Where most English-language works on Jankélévitch have almost exclusively centered around the topic of forgiveness, this book fills a gap by bringing to light other aspects of Jankélévitch’s oeuvre that deserve attention. Although Jankélévitch is increasingly considered an important French moral theorist, there remains relatively little English-language scholarship on his thought. Jankélévitch’s writing, especially on ethics and forgiveness, served as touchstones for works by Jacques Derrida, Paul Ricoeur, and Emmanuel Levinas, among others. Jankélévitch is known for the novelty of his style of writing and lecturing, as well as his analyses of subjects and topics that were not necessarily “in style” at the time. Having been forced into hiding during the German occupation of France because of his Jewish heritage, the Shoah and its aftermath made Jankélévitch reexamine, and largely renounce, the role of German thought and ideas in his own work, leading to an even greater separation between his own thought and the climate of philosophy in France during the 1950’s and ‘60’s. Many of the contributors to this volume were, themselves, students of Jankélévitch and, as such, can bring firsthand knowledge of Jankélévitch to bear.