L’INCONTRO CON L’ALTRO NEL “TOUT-MONDE”

Gianluca Viola

This article substantially analyzes the different ways in which the relationship between Europe and its “other” has historically developed. It schematically considers how the dual Greek and biblical significance of alterity is modified by encountering the real “other,” especially during the fundamental moment of discovering the New World. From this point, various thoughts on alterity are taken into account, ranging from anthropology to the philosophy of Lévinas and formulations from the era of globalization. In this exploration, the philosophical category of encounter assumes an irreplaceable value. Through it, identity can open itself to alterity and engage in a relationship where both are fully at stake, leading to a novel form. Finally, the connection between encounter and the “fatum” – already present in the everyday use of the same term “encounter” – prompts a reconsideration of the concept of “chance”, considered as it is explained in Georges Bataille’s works. The encounter as “chance” is related to the new historical–philosophical phase experienced by contemporary Europe: the one that has been defined «provincialization of Europe». Thus, the transformative encounter with the other becomes a decisive possibility for contemporary European consciousness, capable of overcoming the impasse it has seemingly faced for many years.