On beyond Imaging towards Affirmation of Artistic Virtue: A Levinasian Ethics in Aesthetics

This paper explores the ethical dimensions of artistic creation through the lens of Emmanuel Levinas’ philosophy, challenging traditional perspectives in art. Traditional aesthetics often derive art within the epistemological domains, which can obscure the profound ethical implications of artistic activity. By focusing on Levinasian ethics, particularly the notions of responsibility, this examination argues that artistic virtue is affirmed not through mastery, economic value, or self-expression but through an ethical encounter—the very event of our relationship with the Other. This paper is twofold. First, it focuses on imaging—tracing art’s development from ritual representation and economic commodification to technological expression within Western art methodologies, from ancient traditions to contemporary practices. In doing so, it examines both the historical and present conditions of art. Second, the paper turns to responsibility—to respond. By integrating Levinasian ethics into aesthetics, it redefines the role of the artist and the significance of the artistic process. It calls for a transformation in artistic discourse, moving beyond representation, commodification, and mere expression toward an ethics-centered practice that prioritizes responsibility, ethical engagement, and the affirmation of artistic virtue. In this view, art remains committed to imaging (aesthetics) while simultaneously grounded in responsibility (ethics). Thus, aesthetics ultimately opens into ethics.