But how will saying grace create champions of the good cause? It is obvious that what is suggested to us here are peaceful struggles: the problem of a hungry world can be resolved only if the food of the owners and those who are provided for ceases to appear to them as inalienable property, but is recognized as a gift they have received for which thanks must be given and to which others have a right. Scarcity is a social and moral problem and not exclusively an economic one. That is what our text reminds us of, in old wives’ tales. And now we can understand that this internal and pacific war is to be waged not only by me, who in saying grace gives up possession, but also by those who answer “Amen”. A community must follow the individuals who take the initiative of renouncing their rights so that the hungry can eat. [Translated from French by Annette Aronowicz]
Suggested Discussion Questions:
1. What does Levinas mean by “scarcity is a social and moral problem and not exclusively an economic one?”
2. According to Levinas, what is at the root of the disparity in access to food? How do we fight this by saying grace after meals?
3. How can we “renounce our rights” to resources to help others gain access?
Time Period: Modern (Spinoza through post-WWII)