本文探討東尼•庫許納的代表作《美國天使》中，政治（法律）組織作爲 體現倫理之機構的可行性與困難度。文中帶入列維納斯的理論來思考倫理與政 治的關係，並呈現劇作家與哲學家兩者在主體形成與歷史進程上的共識。列維 納斯尊倫理爲第一哲學，強調人類政治不該被非人爲力量推動。此理論反映了 二十世紀人類所處的困境，並提供劇中受苦的角色們一些可能的詮釋。本文借 用列維納斯理論中的概念，如「身體感知」、「毗鄰」、「政治」，來印證兩位思想 家都直接或間接處理到的倫理觀——亦即「我」必須透過「他者」才能達成自 我實現的所謂的「艱難的自由」。

This paper explores the problem of political/legal institutions being accepted as valid embodiments of ethics through the investigation of Tony Kushner’s Angels in America. Drawing on the work of Emmanuel Levinas, it situates the dialogue between ethics and politics, presenting a mutual reflection of the theorist and the playwright on the making of subjectivity in relation to the progress of history. Claiming ethics as the first philosophy, Levinas emphasizes that human politics should not be substituted with inhuman forces—a dilemma in twentieth century and a problematic phenomenon depicted in the play—suggesting a means of framing the characters’ sufferings. In this paper Levinas’ notions of bodily sensibility, proximity, and politics will be used to assert “difficult freedom”—a politics informed by ethics and a shared vision with Angels in America—an ethics by which the self is realized by the other to whom the self is subjected.