Cosmos (Onfray book)
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| Author | Michel Onfray |
|---|---|
| Country | France |
| Language | French |
| Series | Brève encyclopédie du monde |
| Publisher | Flammarion |
Publication date | 18 March 2015 |
| Pages | 576 |
| ISBN | 978-2-08-129036-5 |
Cosmos. Une ontologie matérialiste (lit. 'Cosmos: a materialist ontology') is a 2015 book by the French philosopher Michel Onfray. Onfray designated it as the first part in his trilogy Brève encyclopédie du monde.
Summary[edit]
Michel Onfray uses the death of his father in 2009 and a discussion about the night sky as the starting point for a reflection on the cosmos. He lays out a personal philosophy of nature by covering a number of subjects. The subjects include animals and human uses of animals, winemaking, oral poetry, African masks, cross-dressing, astronomy, Giuseppe Arcimboldo, land art and repetitive music.[1]
Reception[edit]
Flammarion published Cosmos on 18 March 2015.[1] In Philosophie Magazine, Catherine Portevin described its first 25 pages, which are about Onfray's father, as "dazzling", and the book overall as "a little bumpy".[2] She said the book revolves around a pagan worldview, with few references to philosophers, and "surprising" detours to subjects such as African animism, Romani culture, Japanese haiku and Buddhism.[2] Portevin wrote that the book's "great Nietzschean 'yes to life'" by necessity also comes with "aggressive rejections".[2] Évelyne Pieiller of Le Monde diplomatique wrote that Cosmos adds to the difficulty in recent years to pin down Onfray, who came to prominence as a proponent of atheism and left-wing politics. Pieiller wrote that Onfray's atheism here competes with a vague spirituality, his rationalism with a celebration of instinct, and his libertarian attitude with a respect for traditions. By seemingly prioritising vitality over reason and civilisation, Pieiller said the book sometimes echoes a sensibility found in the works of Maurice Barrès, Ludwig Klages and Oswald Spengler.[3]
By June 2015, Cosmos had sold in more than 80,000 copies. This made it Onfray's third best selling book to date, after Atheist Manifesto (2005) and Le Crépuscule d'une idole (2010).[4]
Legacy[edit]
At the publication of Cosmos, Onfray announced it was the first book in a trilogy he calls Brève encyclopédie du monde (lit. 'Brief encyclopedia of the world').[2] It was followed by the standalone books Décadence (lit. 'Decadence') in 2017[5] and Sagesse (lit. 'Wisdom') in 2019.[6]
References[edit]
- ^ a b "Michel Onfray: Cosmos: Une ontologie matérialiste" (in French). Groupe Flammarion. Retrieved 18 July 2023.
- ^ a b c d Portevin, Catherine (26 March 2015). "Cosmos. Une ontologie matérialiste". Philosophie Magazine (in French). Retrieved 18 July 2023.
- ^ Pieiller, Évelyne (July 2015). "Michel Onfray ou l'amour de l'ordre". Le Monde diplomatique (in French). p. 3. Retrieved 18 July 2023.
- ^ Ceaux, Pascal (8 June 2015). "Pourquoi Michel Onfray se vend bien". L'Express (in French). Retrieved 18 July 2023.
- ^ "Michel Onfray annonce la fin de la civilisation occidentale". L'Express (in French). 6 January 2017. Retrieved 18 July 2023.
- ^ "Michel Onfray publie son 100e livre et entre dans les Cahiers de l'Herne". Le Point (in French). 12 January 2019. Retrieved 18 July 2023.
Further reading[edit]
- Giesbert, Franz-Olivier (14 March 2015). "Onfray, le philosophe qui secoue la France". Le Point (in French). Retrieved 18 July 2023.
External links[edit]
- Publisher's website (in French)