Abstract
The title of this paper recalls a well-known statement by Emanuel Lévinas, to which we will return below. However, what does it mean to be good – to be a good friend, a good citizen, a good husband, etc.? Regardless of individual qualities, such as strength, intelligence, docility, or others, I believe that being good basically means conforming one's conduct to the fundamental rules that define social relationships in that particular social context. Obviously, this assertion needs to be deepened, if it is not to be resolved into a banal tautology. It is precisely with this in mind that I will begin my exposition by starting with a simple description of the systems of rules that govern human relationships. Secondly, I will attempt to set out some results achieved by comparative ethology in the field of social behaviour. I will finally attempt to place certain aspects of E. Lévinas's ethical thought against this briefly outlined background. This, in the convinction that the Lithuanian philosopher's words find accurate confirmation in the results of ethological research, and that the convergence of distant and independent points of view is an important validation of the reliability of the results.
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