Emmanuel Levinas's ethic of the other, kenosis, and the theodicy questions

This dissertation examines how Emmanuel Levinas creates his main argument, 'the ethic of the other,' in light of the problem of evil. I begin my examination of Levinas's rejection of theodicy with existential, philosophical, and theological perspectives. In order to explore his existential understanding of evil, it is necessary to consider his personal suffering from the Holocaust. I argue that Levinas's personal suffering is a main motivation for him to create his ethic of the other, and his Jewish heritage provides rich sources for making the shift possible as well.; Philosophically, I explore Levinas's influence on Edmund Husserl, Martin Heidegger, and theologically, I explore the development of Levinas's thought in relation to Franz Rosenzweig. I then turn to the idea of kenosis , looking at the works of Dietrich Bonhoeffer and Simone Weil. My main argument related to kenosis is that God's suffering and his self-emptying (or sacrificial characteristic) can be regarded as an infinite responsibility against the problem of evil in the world. If Bonhoeffer's mediatorship of Jesus Christ is unusual for Levinas, Weil's creation as divine abdication can play a role in bridging the gap between Levinas and Bonhoeffer, as well as between Judaism and Christianity.; Whereas Levinas gives a metaphysical voice to suffering by asking the question "WHY?" which cannot be answered by theodicy, the Confucian philosopher Xunzi does not answer this question, but rather moves on to ordering the shattered world through ritual. By comparing Xunzi with Levinas, I argue that whereas Levinas would call for 'responsibility,' Xunzi would offer a specific, practical way of carrying out that responsibility.; My purpose for providing this selective reading of various philosophers and theologians is to ask the question of how to best integrate the ideas of Levinas, Xunzi, and kenosis. I argue that kenosis transcends the limits of both the ethic of the other and Xunzi's practical ethic. Kenosis helps to restore the fullness of meaning and responsibility in a world plagued with suffering. Through kenotic-theodicy, one is able to overcome the problem of evil, not through a simple verbal and theological solution, but through the very compassion and presence of God with us.