Times of Crises: What the Financial Crisis Revealed and How to Reinvent our Lives and Future

by Michel Serres, Anne-Marie Feenberg-Dibon (Translator)

For Michel Serres, economic crises are earthquakes caused by societal tectonic plates. The current crisis erupted because of the widening discrepancy between major social changes and institutions that have remained the same since WWII.

Serres, one of the first to bring nature into the political, writes, "To destroy, kill, exploit is worthless. In the long run, it means destroying ourselves." At a time when the world population has grown so much that it is exhausting natural resources and the environment, we need to rethink cultural, social, and political dynamics. Serres argues that geopolitics and economics will no longer be a two-player game, between West and East, for example, but a three-player one, in which is Earth will be the third partner.

This book is one of hope as it calls for a new world and extols the importance of science for our future and political institutions. Here, Serres demonstrates an optimistic outlook in a clear and luminous language that offers new paths for reflection and, ultimately, a better life for Earth and its inhabitants.

Genres: Nonfiction, Philosophy

96 pages, Hardcover

First published October 20, 2009

About the author

Michel Serres was a French philosopher, theorist and author.

Reviews

[Ankur Sharma]

Don't know what I was thinking. Author is all over the place.

[Nabilla Zammali]

Le problème du livre est que le narrateur ne guide pas le lecteur dans ses idées. On parle de science, politique, philosophie, etc.. tout y est mélangé et on peut se perdre facilement. Mais le texte soulève des problématiques toujours d'actualité notamment sur la question de l'éthique et les sciences où il propose une espèce de serment collectif à tous les scientifiques. Je pense particulièrement à l'intelligence artificielle qui pose aujourd'hui un problème éthique majeur...

"Ville intra muros, société d'humains entre soi, hors campagne, hors rusticité, hors sciences dures, hors le Monde. Seuls comptent les sujets, collectifs ou individuels, narcisses ensemble dans leur pré." [P70]

"Il faut donc, aujourd'hui, récrire un serment généralisé à l'ensemble des sciences, puisque tous les savants sont placés devant les responsabilités créatrices." [P101]

[Renato Beaklini]

Serres delineia um panorama interessante no que tange a relação entre Homem e Natureza. Nesse sentido, a analogia da crise atual dessa relação com o quadro Duelo com mocas, de Goya, é inspirada. Assim como a proposição de tratar o que chama de "Biogeia" como sujeito. O problema, para mim, dá-se quando Serres propõe a criação de uma instituição mundial representante da Biogeia – e todas as implicações dessa proposição. Não se trata de uma utopia, mas de uma impossibilidade fundamentalmente apolítica. Todos sabemos no que dá um chamado por um "governo de técnicos"...

[ties]

I was rather surprised to come across a work of Michel Serres, whom I regard as one of the most inspiring contemporary thinkers, on one of my most studied themes, the financial crisis of 2007-2008. In the end, it was too good to be true as there are actually little reflections on finance or the financial crisis in here.

[Florrie19]

Interesting ideas on the nature of crisis, but especially great as a clarification of some of Serres' other works. Also contains some completely unnecessary comments expressing a sexist imaginary, unfortunately.

[Puthin Chea]

Author is going places

[Antoine]

A sharp analysis of the discrepancy between old institutions and a rapidly evolving world, but later a simplistic argument to solve the world’s crises.

[Gabriele]

Good concepts, a bit too much based on interpreation of the author and much utopia, it seems to me as a letter to the World on how Michel Serres would like humanity to see each other and nature. Not really a scientific statement

[Richard]

Interesting, especially the 2 Oaths and their implications. Still need to contemplate.