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Political sociology --- Economic sociology --- National wealth --- South Africa

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This thesis focuses on humanistic themes in the work of two eminent twentieth-century continental philosophers, namely the French phenomenologist Emmanuel Levinas (1906 – 1995) and the German new-Marxist Ernst Bloch (1885 – 1977). Its two main objectives are, first, to explore the points of philosophical connection between Levinas and Bloch, and, second, to make a contribution to contemporary humanistic philosophy on the basis of the work of Levinas and Bloch. What humanism and humanistic refer to in this context is specifically the philosophical foundation and substantiation of human dignity, and the hope for the possible maintenance, restoration and salvation of human dignity within the indifferent march of history. This research has been undertaken in the conviction that investigating Levinas’s connection with authors from the Marxist tradition is important. Attending to this connection helps one to venture into relatively unexplored territory and also compels one to take into account aspects of Levinas’s work that can otherwise easily be neglected, such as his account of material life, Messianic hope and the development of his ethical thought from a consideration of ontological problems. This thesis investigates the connection between Levinas and Bloch by viewing it in the light of different domains of their philosophies. Part I ( Ontological Darkness ) focuses on the phenomenological notions in Levinas and Bloch of the human subject’s situatedness in the world, and their ethical concepts of humanity’s situatedness in history. The idea in both Levinas and Bloch of the indifferent march of history can be seen as the starting point or problem at the foundation of their philosophies on the basis of which they attempt to answer the associated questions in other aspects of their work. Part II ( The Metaphysics of Promise ) looks at the ideas of Levinas and Bloch of the hope that arises out human beings to transcend the injustices they are confronted with in specific historical contexts. Attention is drawn to a disagreement between Levinas and Bloch on the level of metaphysics, and it is explained how this disagreement manifests in their respective philosophies of art. Part III ( History, Utopia and the Humane Society ) investigates the position of Levinas and Bloch on social ethics and gives special attention to their relation with contemporary anti-totalitarian humanism. After the derailment of many humane social ideals in the twentieth century, an awareness has grown of the dangers that lurk (latently) in utopian ideals. The later work of Tzvetan Todorov (1939–) can be seen as a typical example of anti-totalitarian humanism. This thesis argues that although anti-totalitarian humanism makes a vital contribution to the maturation of our moral awareness, we ought to be circumspect so as to not allow this to impoverish our social and moral discourse. Levinas has been of fundamental importance for the emergence of anti-totalitarian humanism, but his thought does not correspond perfectly with all the basic premises of anti-totalitarian humanism. Finally it is argued that the work of Bloch can still serve as a valuable resource to invigorate our social imagination and to rekindle the ethos of world-improvement.