The Parasite (Posthumanities) (Paperback)

by Michel Serres (Author)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description

Influential philosopher Michel Serres’s foundational work uses fable to explore how human relations are identical to that of the parasite to the host body. Among Serres’s arguments is that by being pests, minor groups can become major players in public dialogue—creating diversity and complexity vital to human life and thought.

 

Michel Serres is professor in history of science at the Sorbonne, professor of Romance languages at Stanford University, and author of several books, including Genesis.

 

Lawrence R. Schehr is professor of French at the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign.

 

Cary Wolfe is Bruce and Elizabeth Dunlevie Professor of English at Rice University. His books include Zoontologies: The Question of the Animal (Minnesota, 2003).

Language Notes
Text: English, French (translation) --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Product Details

• Paperback: 288 pages
• Publisher: Univ Of Minnesota Press; 1 edition (May 25, 2007)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0816648816
• ISBN-13: 978-0816648818
• Product Dimensions: 8.8 x 6 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 9.1 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #168,174 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A classic philosophical text, August 3, 2007

By	Midwest Book Review (Oregon, WI USA) - See all my reviews

Written by history and science professor Michel Serres, and expertly translated from the original French by professor of French Lawrence R. Schehr (no simple feat, as Serres often expressed himself in unusual styles and multilingual puns), The Parasite is an eyebrow-raising treatise that compares how human relations are frequently identical to the relationship between a parasite and the host body. Serres does not decry this situation as universally deleterious; to the contrary, he points out that by being vocal pests, small groups can raise their collective power to influence public dialogue, engendering the diversity and complexity vital to vibrant human thought and culture. "The position of a parasite is to be between. That is why it must be said to be a being or a relation. But the attribute of the parasite... is its specificity. It is not just anything that troubles a passing message. It is not just anyone who is invited to someone's table. A given larva develops only in a certain organism and is carried only by a certain vector." Originally published in 1982, this re-release of a classic philosophical text is highly recommended especially for college library philosophy shelves and scholarly reading lists.

3 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars poetic profound philosophy, December 17, 2007

By	curt dilger (phila usa) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This treasured book stands as a profound meditation on human existence in relation to the world, the manifold scales at which power operates, shading from literal to allegorical, then to economic to revolutionary, and yet all seemingly one vibrating phenomenon, that of host to parasite. Prepare yourself for an enlightening exposition of this theme, go ahead and try to prepare--this book will still blow your mind. I've never been able to escape the force of his argument yet. This is one of the books that changed the way I look at the world.

5.0 out of 5 stars Outstanding post-humanist perspective, March 24, 2009

By	James R. Saker "Jamie Saker" (Tabor, Iowa) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

Serres' work is remarkably fresh and reading it has a true aesthetic quality, aside from the invaluable outlook on human relationships. Having acquired the book to develop further critical arguments for our policy debate program, I found myself evaluating his thoughts in my role as a professional risk manager. Serres provides much to consider in relationships, especially when one attempts to evaluate underlying behaviors and incentives. Several chapters would provide excellent material for graduate management coursework on ethics.