First published in English by Duquesne in 1969, this has become one of the classics of modern philosophy.

Emmanuel Levinas' Totality and Infinity is a monumental work of phenomenological enquiry that goes on to assert the centrality of ethics to philosophical thought. This Reader's Guide provides a detailed explanation of the work, breaking down the occasionally intimidating but always inspirational content of Totality and Infinity for non-specialist readers, unpacking the complexities of Levinas' thought with clarity and rigour. Ideal for students coming to Levinas for the first time, the book offers essential guidance, outlining key themes, approaches to reading the text, the reception, and influence of the work, and recommends secondary reading materials.

TOTALITY AND INFINITY -- Copyright -- TABLE OF CONTENTS -- INTRODUCTION -- PREFACE -- SECTION I THE SAME AND THE OTHER -- A. METAPHYSICS AND TRANSCENDENCE -- B. SEPARATION AND DISCOURSE -- C. TRUTH AND JUSTICE -- D. SEPARATION AND ABSOLUTENESS -- SECTION II INTERIORITY AND ECONOMY -- A. SEPARATION AS LIFE -- B. ENJOYMENT AND REPRESENTATION -- C. I AND DEPENDENCE -- D. THE DWELLING -- E. THE WORLD OF PHENOMENA AND EXPRESSION -- SECTION III EXTERIORITY AND THE FACE -- A. SENSIBILITY AND THE FACE -- B. ETHICS AND THE FACE -- C. THE ETHICAL RELATION AND TIME -- SECTION IV BEYOND THE FACE -- A. THE AMBIGUITY OF LOVE -- B. PHENOMENOLOGY OF EROS -- C. FECUNDITY -- D. THE SUBJECTIVITY IN EROS -- E. TRANSCENDENCE AND FECUNDITY -- F. FILIALITY AND FRATERNITY -- G. THE INFINITY OF TIME -- CONCLUSIONS.

By virtue of the originality and depth of its thought, Emmanuel Levinas’s masterpiece, Totality and Infinity: An Essay on Exteriority, is destined to endure as one of the great works of philosophy. It is an essential text for understanding Levinas’s discussion of “the Other,” yet it is known as a “difficult” book. Modeled after Norman Kemp Smith’s commentary on Kant’s Critique of Pure Reason, Levinas’s Existential Analytic guides both new and experienced readers through Levinas’s text. James R. Mensch explicates Levinas’s arguments and shows their historical referents, particularly with regard to Heidegger, Husserl, and Derrida. Students using this book alongside Totality and Infinity will be able to follow its arguments and grasp the subtle phenomenological analyses that fill it.