Stephen Scheidell |CPO W143

Dr. Benson
PHIL 280
Word cont! 34"
Le#in$s
While I reco%ni&e th$t I $' li(el) *'pin% the %n in the +ollo,in% $ssertion- .t
I c$nnot i%nore the sspicion th$t Le#in$s/ $ccont le$#es $n i'port$nt ele'ent
nel$.or$ted. 0ltern$ti#el)- the c$se '$) #er) ,ell .e th$t I si'pl) 'issed so'ethin%.
Le#in$s- $t le$st so +$r $s ,e h$#e re$d- le$#es $'.i%os the role o+ the sel+ $s
interpreter. 1he sel+ reco%ni&es the Other 2$ Other- $ttri.tes to it the notion o+ +reedo'-
,hich i'poses pon the sel+/s +reedo'- )et so'eho, ret$ins $ 3prel) ne%$ti#e
inco'prehension o+ the Other3 4Philosophy and the Idea of the Infinite- 11"5. I
speci+ic$ll) $' con+sed $s to ho, the sel+ co'es to reco%ni&e the 3+reedo'3 o+ $ prel)
inco'prehensi.le pheno'enon. It sonds $ little too close to the sel+ 4$s $ +ree $%ent5
'$(in% the Other the S$'e $s itsel+ 4.) $ttri.tin% to the Other its o,n $ttri.te o+
+reedo'5. In other ,ords- to reco%ni&e the +reedo' o+ $ non6sel+ pheno'enon- one 'st
+irst reco%ni&e the Other positively $s sch $ +ree $%ent7 there $ppe$rs to .e $ distinctl)
interpreti#e $ct i'plied 4)et nel$.or$ted5 .) Le#in$s. Bt to interpret- 'st not the sel+
h$#e $ positi#e d$t$ to interpret8
Le#in$s o++ers $ .rilli$nt criti2e o+ the e%ocentris' o+ pheno'enolo%) ths +$r-
.t I c$nnot sh$(e the +eelin% th$t he '$) h$#e .een li%htl) too re$ction$r). Ho,e#er- I
do +ind this speci+ic n$nce! he critici&es Hsserl $nd Heide%%er +or $ss'in% the sel+ as
authority $t the e9pense o+ the Other- .t he does not e9plicitl) disc$rd ,ith th$t the
notion o+ the sel+ as interpreter.
0t sr+$ce #$le- he re$ds $s i+ co''ittin% $ si'il$r 3in*stice3 to th$t o+ Hsserl
$nd Heide%%er .t on the opposin% e9tre'e : +ocsin% on the Other $t the e9pense o+ the
sel+. H$d he e9plicitl) denied the sel+ as interpreter- I ,old insist th$t he co''its th$t
in*stice- .t le$#in% roo' +or the sel+ as interpreter- he $llo,s +or the +ollo,in%
nderst$ndin%! While the sel+ ret$ins its interpreti#e role- the +$ce o+ the Other strips it o+
$n) cl$i' to $thorit) : it de+ies- de+ines- $nd con+ines the sel+/s interpreti#e role.