Emmanuel Levinas’ Concept of a Stranger and Hospitality

In recent times, many Western countries have been confronted with the challenges posed by the influx of migrants especially from the wartorn countries. This surge in migration has led to diversity. On one side, there have been celebrations of this diversity but on the other side, there has been an increase in distrust and suspicion amongst the insiders and outsiders. The natives have either a xenophilic or a xenophobic disposition towards strangers. The migrants are filled with either happiness or suspicion.Furthermore, there are growing attentions that border on security. Do we open or close our borders? Welcoming strangers is an act of hospitality but there should be a caveat …. An encounter with a stranger is a common experience in our daily life. However, in the works of Emmanuel Levinas, the concept of a stranger assumes two new meanings: elusiveness and vulnerability. This work discusses these and more in detail.