The Incandescent

The first translation of the volumes in Michel Serres’ classic ‘Humanism’ tetralogy, this ambitious philosophical narrative explores what it means to be human. With his characteristic breadth of references including art, poetry, science, philosophy and literature, Serres paints a new picture of what it might mean to live meaningfully in contemporary society. He tells the story of humankind (from the beginning of time to the present moment) in an attempt to affirm his overriding thesis that humans and nature have always been part of the same ongoing and unfolding history.

This crucial piece of posthumanist philosophical writing has never before been released in English. A masterful translation by Randolph Burks ensures the poetry and wisdom of Serres writing is preserved and his notion of what humanity is and might be is opened up to new audiences.

Author Biography

Michel Serres is Professor in the History of Science at Stanford University, USA and a member of the Académie Française. A renowned and popular philosopher, he is a prize-winning author of a number of books, including The Five Senses and Eyes.

Randolph Burks is a philosopher specializing in phenomenology and philosophies of the body and nature. He has translated several works by Michel Serres, including the Foundations Trilogy, Rome (2015), Statues (2015), and Geometry (2017).