Humanism, Education and Spirituality: Approaching Psychosis with Levinas

The article investigates the recent turn towards Emmanuel Levinas’ writings in the philosophy of Education. Engaging this turn, the article sets out to develop an ethical, personal and contemplative approach towards understanding and responding to psychosis. By imagining a Levinasian horizon for understanding the experience of psychosis in the Teaching-Learning environment, Levinas’ thought gives hope to take on the work of justice and offer a gift of friendship especially when faced with students experiencing psychosis. The approach towards people suffering the moods and difficulties of psychosis, the article argues, parallels the very spiritual practice of contemplation. Introduction to Humanism The education of the human person is essential for wholeness and well-being. Our quest for meaning and truth can follow a crooked path, but we might find some direction by aligning our education practice towards a horizon of goodness and spirituality. It is my argument that Levinas’ ethical metaphysics and Christian spirituality can together produce a significant rupture and radical turnabout in the development of humanism’s impact upon Education philosophy and practice. A contemplative and ethical stance reaching to the foundations of teaching and learning might give rise to a hospitable, generous, engaging and responsible environment. Yet, spirituality and ethics always asks more. We are called, ordered and, perhaps, even ordained, to invite that stranger in our midst. Accordingly, towards such an almost messianic ethical and spiritual horizon, there lies hope to envision a transforming readiness for Education to reflect on its approach towards mental illness. After all, just as, “The Lord is near to the brokenhearted, and saves the crushed in spirit” (Psalm 34:18), so too, we might find ourselves called and chosen (Matt 22:14) to have a sense of “What no eye has seen, nor ear heard ...” (1 Cor 2:9; cf. Isa. 64:4), namely, a word of love, justice and friendship with those we might fear and forget. One of the key theories of learning in the philosophy of Education, humanism takes a turn towards subjectivity, human freedom, ethics and self-discovery. Distinguishing itself by an