Transformation and Meeting the Face of the Other

Abstract

In this article, I present both clinical and personal examples of how “meeting the face of the Other” can enable us to transform our own personal narratives. I utilize Kohut’s notion that we may transform our personal existence to a supra-individual participation in the world, Kulka’s conceptualization of Kohut’s idealized selfobject as the agent for transformation, and Levinas’ ethical stance of responsibility for the Other, as the theoretical underpinnings for my article. Finally, I offer a literary analysis of a Biblical text that demonstrates this transformative potential on a global level.