Abstract

Levinas’ first concern is not ethics, but transcendency of the «Others», of the «Subject» and of «God». This essay shows how the theological transcendency is located in ethics. It also shows how both theological transcendency and ethics do not have, according to Levinas, traits of a violent heteronomous imposition. Therefore, the theological transcendency is released from every contamination both with the sacred and the being, and the ethical imperative does not come from outside to the subjective freedom, but it is originally formed within the subject, elevating him to the responsibility towards the others. God never imposes it with his direct or proved presence, but instead he talks to us only through unconditional devotion of the Subject, who is responsible to others only as trace and riddle