The purposes of this study are, first, to consider the subject-centered philosophy which Levinas
criticizes, second, to know what is the character on alterity of the other he proposes and, third, to
research the educational principle possible to realize the alterity without changing it in the subject
and the possibility to apply it to the field education.
First, the ontology of Western philosophy in the ‘critic of subject-centered philosophy’ is the
complete subject-centered thought due to making modern subject be the thinking existence, that is,
reasonable ego under the concept of modern cogito in the center. This has the essential problem
being objective and other even human as well as thing and world surrounded with subject.
Education also aimed at contribution to strengthening the position of modern subject and
self-realization of subject. But, this aim came out the result not to consider the indifference on other
except subject and the personal character of other.
Second, the other in the ‘character on alterity of the other’ is the complete outsider or absolute
separator neither the objective composed of in the subject nor the limit out of the subject. The other
is the existence not only different from subject I on the whole but also different absolutely from me.
I explained the ontological character on this other as a notion of ‘absolute outness’, ‘embodiment’ and
‘limitlessness’.
Third, the educational principle of the alterity and its application to the field education
conceptualized the education principles for others and represented the conversational education
method, pedagogical responsibility ethics and other-inclined teacher status.
The otherness philosophy by Levinas through the discussions above not only shows the possibility
to change fundamentally the paradigm of subject-centered current pedagogy but also provides the
ground to make a new plan to treat inhuman and impersonal conditions in the education field.