Intrigues: From Being to the Other

Delve into the intricate world of ethics and otherness with Gabriel Riera's profound work, "Intrigues: From Being to the Other." This annotated hardcover edition, published by Fordham University Press, explores the challenging question of how to ethically represent and engage with the "other" in writing and criticism. Riera masterfully navigates the complex philosophical landscapes shaped by Emmanuel Levinas and Maurice Blanchot, two of the most influential thinkers on the concept of otherness in contemporary philosophy. This book is not simply a summary of Levinas and Blanchot's ideas, but a rigorous investigation into the very possibility of ethical writing. Riera questions whether language, inherently a system of representation, can truly preserve the alterity of the other without reducing it to the "same." He grapples with the tension between language's need to categorize and define, and the ethical imperative to respect the other's irreducible difference. Riera doesn't shy away from engaging with Martin Heidegger, a crucial precursor to Levinas and Blanchot. While Heidegger's focus on Being might seem at odds with Levinas's emphasis on the ethical demand of the other, Riera skillfully demonstrates how Heidegger's deconstruction of onto-theology and traditional understandings of language paved the way for Levinas and Blanchot's groundbreaking work. The book illuminates how each philosopher, in their own way, challenges the foundations of Western metaphysics and its tendency to prioritize the self over the other. "Intrigues: From Being to the Other" meticulously examines how to identify and articulate a non-discursive element within discourse itself. Riera presents a compelling argument that ethical engagement requires acknowledging the limits of language and representation, and embracing the inherent ambiguity and uncertainty that arise when confronting the other. He explores the idea of an excess that resists full conceptualization. This book arrives at a critical juncture, given the rising discourse on the "ethical turn" in literary and cultural studies. Riera cautions against simply grafting the "other" onto existing frameworks focused on identity and representation. He argues that such approaches risk domesticating the other, assimilating it into pre-existing categories and thus losing its distinctive qualities. Instead, Riera proposes a more radical approach, one that truly centers the other and challenges the very foundations of our understanding of self, knowledge, and power. Through careful readings of Heidegger, Levinas, and Blanchot, Riera demonstrates that the question of the other touches upon the very limits of philosophy, rationality, and power. This book is not just for specialists in philosophy or literary theory. It's a valuable resource for anyone interested in ethics, identity, and the challenges of engaging with difference in a globalized world. Its exploration of language, representation, and the limits of knowledge makes it relevant to a broad audience across the humanities and social sciences. Prepare to have your assumptions challenged and your understanding of ethics profoundly altered by this important contribution to contemporary thought. Suitable for readers interested in Continental philosophy, ethics, literary theory, and critical theory.