The metaethical philosophy of Emmanuel Levinas challenges Western egocentrism by describing the self as egoic yet nevertheless ethically called to transcend its own obsessions, compulsions, and addictions, and to respect and serve others. While power is powerful and weakness is weak, power can sabotage itself, and the weakness of others has power to command our attention and service. Levinas makes distinctions that offer psychology the basis for an alternative paradigm open to paradox. In The Paradox of Power and Weakness, George Kunz shows how the analyses of hagiography, cynicism, and limits on altruistic behavior by radical altruism contribute to this psychology of ethical responsibility for social sciences.

Table of Contents:
Acknowledgments Prologue Part I: Psychology's Anomaly and an Alternative Paradigm Chapter One: Radical Altruism: An Anomaly to Modern Psychology A real distinction between altruism and self-interest Psychology's contribution to the cynicism of modern ideologies Psychology: A psukhology as well as an egology Reflection on social problems shows the paradoxical Statement of the paradox The paradox of the power of weakness Quick survey of ethical theories The paradox of the weakness of power The Itinerary Chapter Two: An Alternative Paradigm: The Philosophy of Emmanuel Levinas The psukhe (breath, spirit, soul) is the-Other-in-me Six fundamental distinctions: Totality and infinity Need and desire Willful activity and radical passivity Self-initiated freedom and invested freedom Social equality and ethical inequality The said and saying Part II: The Egology of Power and Weakness Chapter Three: Power and the Power of Power Phenomenological method: disclosing and declaring Power and the power of power at three psychological levels Cognitive power: intelligence for understanding Behavioral power: exerted effort for success Affective Power: satisfaction for happiness How power empowers power Conclusion Chapter Four: Weakness and the Weakness of Weakness Phenomenological method: exposing and accusing Weakness and the weakness of weakness at three levels Cognitive weakness: ignorance for bad choices Behavioral weakness: lazy and cowardly for failure Affective weakness: dissatisfaction for suffering How weakness weakens its weakness Conclusion Part III: The Psukhology of the Paradoxical Chapter Five: The Weakness of Power Phenomenological method: being exposed and confessing The weakness of power The Gyges Complex: self-righteous and obsessive The Zeus Complex: manipulative and compulsive The Narcissus Complex: self-indulgent and addictive How power weakens power Conclusion Chapter Six: The Power of Weakness Phenomenological method: listening to, being touched, and responding The power of weakness Simplicity: the gift of self-skepticism for attentive understanding Humility: the gift of self-substitution for obedient service Patience: the gift of self-sacrifice for compassion The origin and direction of the self How the weakness of the Other empowers the self and empowers the Other Conclusion Part IV: The Paradox of Community Interlude: Social justice Based on Radical Altruism The appeal to hagiology: Edith Wyschogrod The cynicism of ideology: Peter Sloterdijk The limits to altruism: Roger Burggraeve Chapter Seven: The Power of Community Phenomenological method: community communicates and assigns responsibilities Communities understood by using the three levels of the psukhe: cognition, behavior, affect Educational community Political community Commercial community The power of the Common Good in schools, governments, and businesses Conclusion Epilogue Bibliography Index