For the first time in Ukrainian religious studies the dissertation investigated the relationship between E. Levinas’ ethical concept and his "confessional" texts, was made an attempt to analyse French thinker’s writings in complex. It is proved that there is no dichotomy between E. Levinas’s philosophical texts and his "confessional writings". With the philosophical works they form a kind of "diptych" of thinker’s philosophical and religious views. The way E. Levinas understood Judaism and his belief was reflected and recognizable in the argument, which he developed in his philosophical writings, and key philosophical ideas of French thinker are contained in his "religious" texts. It was emphasized that the most remarkable feature of E. Levinas ethics was asymmetric nature of the relationship between Self and Other. The ethics as such is asymmetrical concept. E. Levinas developed a new philosophical terminology: "Saying» (dire), «Said» (dit), "Trace", "Immemorial past", "Diachrony", "Commandment", "God", "Revelation". Since the word "God" is present in the language, its meaning, according to the E. Levinas, is to be introduced to the philosophical consideration. French thinker extends phenomenological paradigm, goes beyond it. This is the so-called "theological turn" of E. Levinas. However, the encounter with God is mediated through encounter with another person. Thinker calls to make "practical turn" in which purely epistemological relationship with God would be directed not against God itself, but neighbour. It is argued that the Talmudic and Tanahic discourse, which draws the attention of E. Levinas, offered unique solutions, that Western European philosophical paradigm have failed to articulate. "Talmudic Readings" of E. Levinas, on the one hand, have deep and bright material to illustrate his philosophical construction, the cornerstone of which can be called the Other theme. On the other hand – with the help of French thinker Western European philosophical tradition received an open access to the reality of Jewish religious life and its rich tradition. E. Levinas talks about Judaism and the Talmud in universal terms (Human and World, Human and Human, Human and God). It was emphasized that the idea of E. Levinas radically affected the work of J. Tishner, that borrows from E. Levinas such concepts as "the face-to-face encounter", "evidence"; metaphor of word as opposed to the metaphor of vision. J.-L. Marion emphasizes the problem of passive consciousness of the subject, which also shows the influence of E. Levinas ideas on creative achievements of J.-L. Marion.
