Enslaved To Be Freed

by Steffie Castaneda

7 February 2013
Discussed Text: Levinas, "Responsibility," Ethics and Infinity


Hearing the word responsibility nowadays often makes me want to cringe. It sickens me because I feel I have had too much already. Eight classes to look after for a whole semester demands so much of time. And it does not stop just yet, because I know I have other more responsibilities to carry. More responsibilities to challenge me.More responsibilities to burden me.

More responsibilities to enslave me.

One night, just recently I was alone at our terrace, busy practicing solving problems for a physics long test on the following day. Far as I was from done, I was so worried that I didn’t want to take a few minutes of my time if it’s not for something that will draw me closer to finishing my task. But just when I thought everyone at home was already asleep,assured no one will disturb me, my cousin unexpectedly goes out and sits in front of me.

I was surprised. I can’t just ignore her and keep on solving, so I stopped.

Hostage, though seemingly exaggerated of a term for this kind of situation, was used by Levinas to refer to the experience of being claimed by the Other, as if besieging us, or persecuting us. It is as if the Other is accusing, or imprisoning us of something we were not even aware of. There is a command to serve him, to be responsible for him. This brings out the vulnerability of the I that did not choose to respond in the first place, but wasnevertheless affected by the Other and so has committed to respond.

 had to stop because I know my cousin wouldn’t just sit in front of me to reflect/relax/meditate/pray etc. I had to surrender a portion of my time and lend a listening ear to her. And in that situation, I ought to be more listening than talking or commenting because it seemed more appropriate for what she was about to tell me.

Hearing her expressing how tired and worn out she was with her work, just as I was too, I vulnerably gave in further to the command for my ears to catch her words, my mind to de-center, my heart to share the weight, my soul to reach out, even if all means taking as much as she needs of my time that could have been spent for sleeping and studying. The conversation lasted for about 30 minutes, but it did not just stop yet because it made me reflect after for a few minutes more.

Many times, we choose for things to go our own way. But it cannot always follow that way simply because we cannot take control of everything. Things can unexpectedly shift in direction, and this is what makes us vulnerable, especially in the context of the Other who suddenly and unexpectedly approaches us to demand, as if in a claim to serve him/her for something we were not accountable for. It demands us to “substitute for the Other”in a fault that wasn’t ours in the first place.

And what is most ironic about that situation is that it does not seek to enslave you, but free you. This is the most wonderful realization I owe to Levinas after having listened to Dr. Garcia’s lecture last Thursday. Looking back at my experience,I now find that sense of gratitude and rewardfrom that very moment I was seized to carry on another responsibility, in addition to my already many responsibilities. It one was a special kind, because what seemed to enslave me at first--considering the state I was in that time--was now,I realize in amazement, a ratherfreeingone. It was a freeing one because itallowed me to get out of myself and reach out to the Other.To quote Hammarskjöld, it was as if “the way chose me”to reach out and share the burden of the Other, not just my own, and for that I am truly blessed and grateful because it brought out the good and the love in me

Picking Up The Pieces

by Mima Mendoza


All their lives, all the time, just…how do you stop seeing it?

The discussion about substitution last Thursday reminded me of one of the most heartbreaking scenes in Stephen Chbosky’s book and film, The Perks of Being a Wallflower. Charlie, the eponymous wallflower, goes into therapy for sexual abuse at the near-end of the movie. He asks his doctor how to “stop it”, and when his doctor requests that Charlie clarify (“Stop what?”), this is Charlie’s response:

credit goes to kingblaine.tumblr.com

When you love other people, you will always want to see them smiling, laughing, having absolutely no care in the world. You will always want what’s best for them, for them to reach their dreams and have the best life possible. But sadly, the world does not run on Disney scripts, and we can’t all have happy endings. We get hurt over and over again. Watching at the sidelines as this cruel world unleashes sadness and pain onto the people you love is the most difficult thing you could ever experience. You want nothing more than to take that pain away and see your loved ones smile and be happy again, to the point that you look up, raise your arms towards the sky and yell: “Don’t hurt them! Hurt me instead!”

Levinas’ concept of substitution is not merely about replacing the Other with yourself in order to feel what they feel. It’s not about needing to help, but rather about desiring to help. Substitution is, at the core of it all, about standing for the Other. It involves bringing solace to the Other through your own humanity, helping the Other carry his weight, sacrificing your own comforts, your own self. Substitution is not trading your place for the Other, being the Other, but rather drawing the Other near. Ultimately, it is not about being hurt instead of them, but rather helping them through their hurt, knowing full well that you’re being hurt as well.

We must accept that the world is a brutal and unpleasant place to be, and that those we love are sometimes weak and are definitely finite. We are only human, after all, flawed and imperfect and jagged and maybe even broken. As long as we breathe, there will be failure and pain and despair everywhere. But being human is not about being perfect. It’s about taking the hand of the others around you, loving them, hoping with them, and comforting them through this vicious yet equally beautiful world. It’s about bearing each other’s burdens, helping each other through each heartache, one breath at a time. It’s about picking the pieces up of your selves together, making it up as you go along.

Love Responsibly

by Cinta Posadas


Because it is that time of year.

I am generally a very “cheesy” person -- I get kilig quite easily and I am a sucker for romantic-comedies, silly love songs, and sweet nothings. Which is why I couldn’t help but smile when we learned about Levinas’ concept of “Responsibility as Substitution”. This substitution refers to us being responsible for the faults and sufferings of the Other.

Levinas says that there is nothing voluntary about this substitution, meaning it is not our choice to be responsible for the Other, it just happens. Think of it as when someone asks you, “Why do you even like him/her?”, and you simply say, “I just do.” *insert kilig moment here* It is in this liking or being attracted to another that the Other has made a “claim” on us. It is as if we have become “prisoners of love”, in a way -- “the Other has already claimed me”. A romantic notion, don’t you think?

You've already won me over in spite of me /

 And don't be alarmed if I fall head over feet 

And don't be surprised if I love you for all that you are / I couldn't help it / It's all your fault

(“Head Over Feet” by Alanis Morissette)

We have to take charge of the sufferings and faults of the Other, meaning we have to be responsible for things that we did not commit. It is the fault of the Other, and not ours, that the Other is the way the Other is -- someone we think of as “the one” for us, someone we want to spend time with, be with, and grow old with. *insert another kilig moment here* And as Levinas calls us to be responsible for the Other, he also tells us that we actually have to be in action in that words are not enough. It is not enough to think about doing something for the Other, it is not enough to say you will do something for the Other. We have to put our thoughts and words into action.

“Love is not
 merely the uttering of words but in doing.”

Spread the love...the Levinas way. This season of “lovey-dovey-ness” be responsible. Take responsibility and act upon your thoughts about that certain someone you’ve been eyeing all this time. Gather up the courage and ask him out for lunch or dinner. Surprise her by cooking her favorite dish. Join him in playing his favorite video game or sport. Sing her a song or ask her to dance. Take the chance and show the Other how you feel.