Justice and Ethics: A Levinasian Perspective on Healthcare

Abstract This essay applies the philosophy/ethics of Emmanuel Levinas to healthcare, looking particularly at his work in Totality and Infinity and its sequel Otherwise than Being. It emphasises the necessary relationship between what is generally considered “ethics” and “politics” to examine the state of healthcare as one wherein individuals are understood to be part of a “totality” and mere resource-users. The dangers of a culture of totality as described in Levinasian language are evident in the area of healthcare and, particularly, in the care of especially demanding Others, of whom infants with cognitive impairments are but one example. What is required is an understanding of justice that re-cognises and underscores the ethical foundations of all political structures.