In an often overlooked passage, Emmanuel Levinas states that we must "de-face humans, sternly reducing each one's uniqueness to his individuality in the unity of the genus, and let universality rule." How can Levinas, the great thinker of infinite alterity and the face of the other, make such a provocative claim? This book argues that understanding this claim is the key to unlocking the possibility of positive, constructive ethical and political thought and practice in the wake of the discourse on difference. In contrast to the excessive negativity of some postmodern thought, this book...