Levinasian Ethics And Social Theory

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i Levinasian Ethics and Social Theory: The status of the other Instructor: Dr. Charles Edgley SOCI 3384: Contemporary Sociological Theory Summer 2011 Abstract In this essay, I begin by explaining the concept of the “Me First” theory presented by Jean Baudrillard and how the idea of consumerism is reflected in today’s society. I then will elaborate on consumerism by explaining the idea of hyperconsumption, which is the idea that society is using and consuming more than they actually need. In the second section I attempt to explain Emmanuel Levinas’ idea of the Status of Other and how it relates to self in the post-modern society and how we have an infinite responsibility to Other more than I. I follow that up by discussing Charles H. Cooley’s concept of the looking-glass self. In this concept Cooley proposes the idea that people shape themselves based on other people's perception of them. I end by discussing Baudrillards’ idea of Hyperreality, which is a term that is used to describe that there are people, places, and things that reflect the idea of illusion and fantasy. It detaches the conscious mind from reality. The Me, Myself, and I Phenomenon The idea of “consumerism” has taken over society’s ability to filter the idea of “illusion” from that of “reality”. Postmodern American has become a “ME” first society. We are only concerned with that of ourselves and not of others. Baudrillard states, "Our society thinks itself and speaks itself as a consumer society”. This is explained by hyperconsumption. Baudrillard defines hyperconsumption as “an extraordinary level of consumption associated with the contemporary world”. (Ritzer, 2010, 2007, 2003, p. 246) Hyperconsumption defines the very means of what the world is today. As humans, we consume more than what we really need, or will ever need without any regard for the next person. We take more
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