Abstract

This article presents reflections on the category of asymmetry, which has its origins in the philosophy of Emanuel Levinas. Asymmetry, however, turns out to be not only a theoretical philosophical issue, but is radically manifest in education and politics. In the public sphere, it is related to the category of the enemy – politically useful – against which anger and hatred are measured. In education, and more specifically in the education system, asymmetry occurs in the form of discrimination that students and teachers experience. Both of its forms lead to the depreciation of an enemy / Other. This depreciation can lead directly to the disintegration of life into worthy and unworthy of surviving, which is a challenge for politics, education and ethics.