Abstract

French modern philosophy to ethics as a core issue. Under the framework of the phenomenology, Levinas and Ricoeur to rethink the subject of freedom and responsibility. This paper briefly introduces the basic concepts of these two philosophers. Levinas greater emphasis on the unlimited personal ethical responsibility to others, and Ricoeur more emphasis on virtue, treat it as a starting point for ethical life. Although difficult to reconcile the different ethical positions, but they are very necessary to provide the resources to think about modern ethical dilemma faced by life and its possible future. French contemporary philosophy considers moral philosophy as a central issue. Following the methods of phenomenology, Emmanuel Lévinas and Paul Ricoeur have reconsidered the freedom of the subject and his moral responsibility. This article presents briefly the fundamental conceptions of those two philosophers. While Levinas has stressed the unlimited responsibility of oneself toward other, Ricoeur has emphasized that virtue should be the starting point of moral life. Despite those differences and the difficulty to harmonize those two positions, they still provide necessary resources to think over the traps of modern moral life and the possibility to overcome them