Beyond dialogue

This essay examines the interplay between dialogue and alterity, outlining Emmanuel Levinas’s unique contribution to the study and practice of human dialogue, whose differences with Martin Buber texture an enlarged sense of identity associated with the notion of dialogue. To flesh out this contribution, this essay follows a threefold sequence of exploration: (1) a review of select essays that explore differences between Buber and Levinas; (2) a review of scholarly exchanges between Buber and Levinas on issues related to dialogue; and (3) an examination of the specific writings of Levinas on dialogue. Finally, this essay situates Levinas’s perspective within the schools of dialogue, outlining his unique position of “beyond dialogue” and further texturing our understanding of diverse schools within communication.