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Unveiling the hidden connections in the network of knowledgeHermes II: Interference is the second in a series of works by philosopher Michel Serres using Hermes, god of communication, as an archetypal symbolic figure for reflecting on philosophy and the arts and sciences. Serres delves into the concept of interreferentiality, proposing that every node-whether it be knowledge, objects, or people-exists within a network where it both receives and transmits information. He argues against the existence of a dominant center or pole within these networks, emphasizing that each node can temporarily serve as a focal point depending on context. Serres presents unique insights into topics such as the nature of knowledge, the world of objects, intersubjectivity, the origins of geometry, the interplay of music and background noise, and empiricism. By identifying parallel structures across these areas, Serres unifies them into a comprehensive theoretical framework, revealing hidden connections and potential future influences. Additionally, this work includes a critique of Gaston Bachelard's The Formation of the Scientific Mind and concludes with an analysis of communication in HergÉ's The Castafiore Emerald. Hermes II is a unique blend of ancient and modern perspectives, combining rigorous analysis with an optimistic outlook and highlighting the interconnectedness of knowledge and its implications for fostering peaceful relations within the network of life.
List of contents
Contents
Introduction
1. Theoretical Interference: Tabulation and Complexity
2. Objective Interference: What Is Written on the Tabula Rasa
3. Monadic Interference: The Fixed Point and Intersubjectivity
Conclusion
Appendix 1. What Thales Saw at the Foot of the Pyramids
Appendix 2. Music and Background Noise
Appendix 3. Mathematization of Empiricism
Appendix 4. Ethics: Reform and the Seven Sins
Appendix 5. Laughs: The Distracted Jewels or the Unscalded Soprano
Translator’s Appendix: Excerpts from Bachelard’s Le nouvel esprit scientifique (The New Scientific Spirit)
Notes
Index
About the author
Michel Serres (1930–2019) was author of more than sixty books, including
Biogea, Variations on the Body, and
The Parasite (all available in translation from Minnesota). He was widely known for his poetic prose and interdisciplinary form of thought.
Randolph Burks is an independent scholar who has translated several works by Michel Serres, including
Variations on the Body and
Biogea as well as
The Incandescent, Hominescence, and
Branches.
