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Summary
Offers an alternative paradigm for psychology, one that reflects Levinas's criticism of a self-centered notion of identity. Reveals the secret of an "authentic" altruism through a phenomenology of both power and weakness, and of the paradoxes of the weakness of power and the power of weakness.
The metaethical philosophy of Emmanuel Levinas challenges Western egocentrism by describing the self as egoic yet nevertheless ethically called to transcend its own obsessions, compulsions, and addictions, and to respect and serve others. While power is powerful and weakness is weak, power can sabotage itself, and the weakness of others has power to command our attention and service. Levinas makes distinctions that offer psychology the basis for an alternative paradigm open to paradox. In The Paradox of Power and Weakness, George Kunz shows how the analyses of hagiography, cynicism, and limits on altruistic behavior by radical altruism contribute to this psychology of ethical responsibility for social sciences.
"The Paradox of Power and Weakness is an important piece of work. Kunz writes a text accessible to a wide audience: to the ethical philosopher, to the public at large, to academics in many disciplines. For myself, I will enjoy reading it many times." -- Ron Shaffer, Western Washington University
"Kunz has straightforwardly and clearly exposed what a psychology would be like based in Levinasian thought. Although some psychologists have criticized the egology which is the center of modern psychology, few have a well-grounded philosophy upon which to found an alternative. Kunz has deftly connected the philosophy and the psychology." -- David R. Harrington, Sheldon Jackson College
"This book is interesting to read and extremely accessible. Kunz's use of examples taken from everyday life is extremely effective. He has adapted Levinas's proto-ethics so that it can more concretely address the day-to-day issues of living ethically. He has also demonstrated that one can think of Levinas's thought in a psychological framework--a possibility that many have argued might be fruitful but few have actually attempted to articulate. Kunz's elaboration of humility and simplicity as core characteristics of the human psyche offers a revolutionary critique of contemporary theories of human personality both in psychology and philosophy." -- James Hatley, Salisbury State University
George Kunz is Associate Professor of Psychology at Seattle University.
Table of Contents
Acknowledgments
Prologue
Part I: Psychology's Anomaly and an Alternative Paradigm
Chapter One: Radical Altruism: An Anomaly to Modern Psychology
A real distinction between altruism and self-interest
Psychology's contribution to the cynicism of modern ideologies
Psychology: A psukhology as well as an egology
Reflection on social problems shows the paradoxical
Statement of the paradox
The paradox of the power of weakness
Quick survey of ethical theories
The paradox of the weakness of power
The Itinerary
Chapter Two: An Alternative Paradigm: The Philosophy of Emmanuel Levinas
The psukhe (breath, spirit, soul) is the-Other-in-me
Six fundamental distinctions:
Totality and infinity
Need and desire
Willful activity and radical passivity
Self-initiated freedom and invested freedom
Social equality and ethical inequality
The said and saying
Part II: The Egology of Power and Weakness
Chapter Three: Power and the Power of Power
Phenomenological method: disclosing and declaring
Power and the power of power at three psychological levels
Cognitive power: intelligence for understanding
Behavioral power: exerted effort for success
Affective Power: satisfaction for happiness
How power empowers power
Conclusion
Chapter Four: Weakness and the Weakness of Weakness
Phenomenological method: exposing and accusing
Weakness and the weakness of weakness at three levels
Cognitive weakness: ignorance for bad choices
Behavioral weakness: lazy and cowardly for failure
Affective weakness: dissatisfaction for suffering
How weakness weakens its weakness
Conclusion
Part III: The Psukhology of the Paradoxical
Chapter Five: The Weakness of Power
Phenomenological method: being exposed and confessing
The weakness of power
The Gyges Complex: self-righteous and obsessive
The Zeus Complex: manipulative and compulsive
The Narcissus Complex: self-indulgent and addictive
How power weakens power
Conclusion
Chapter Six: The Power of Weakness
Phenomenological method: listening to, being touched, and responding
The power of weakness
Simplicity: the gift of self-skepticism for attentive understanding
Humility: the gift of self-substitution for obedient service
Patience: the gift of self-sacrifice for compassion
The origin and direction of the self
How the weakness of the Other empowers the self and empowers the Other
Conclusion
Part IV: The Paradox of Community
Interlude: Social justice Based on Radical Altruism
The appeal to hagiology: Edith Wyschogrod
The cynicism of ideology: Peter Sloterdijk
The limits to altruism: Roger Burggraeve
Chapter Seven: The Power of Community
Phenomenological method: community communicates and assigns responsibilities
Communities understood by using the three levels of the psukhe: cognition, behavior, affect
Educational community
Political community
Commercial community
The power of the Common Good in schools, governments, and businesses
