Keywords: Health, Career, Philosophy, Care Philosophy, Care Domains

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Jones, P. (2006) Searching for the middle: Michel Serres

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Michel Serres

Born in 1930, Serres’ formative years, study and writing was influenced by conflict and the holocaust, leading him to his life’s work. Science as a tool is not neutral, but was compromised in Hiroshima and Nagasaki. The values within applied science remain stark today in bioterrorism, the state of the biosphere and how we can achieve sustainable societies. Serres believes it will take a fusion of knowledge from disparate disciplines for us to grasp what is at stake (Abbas, 2005, p.3). This means travelling through passages, exploration of relationships with each other, science and technology, God, nature and time. Passage can also be afforded by time, a dynamical time.

Appointed to the Académie Française in 1990, Serres’ position as one of France's most prominent intellectuals is assured. Tenure at Stanford University has brought Serres to the attention of the English-speaking world, with approximately half of his books translated to English. Viewed by some of his peers as a maverick, Serres is nonetheless unique, a provocative and unorthodox thinker. His encyclopaedic approach combines and connects seemingly disparate events, objects and themes, from what are usually distinct disciplines. The resulting philosophy is kaleidoscopic, drawing upon the object-subject language debate, local versus global and other antagonistic dichotomies, law and science, the development of the social and political contract, increasingly challenged by the need for a natural contract. This can disorientate the reader expecting a standard academic exposition.

Serres’ tools and style variously provoke controversy, surprise and admiration. The adopted approach differs markedly from what is accepted academe. This does not sit well with experts in their respective fields, denoted by an agreed (institutionalised) toolset. A key facet running through Serres work is that temporal distance does not matter; all authors should be treated as our contemporaries (Serres, 1995a). Consequently, Serres is accused of being a dabbler; an isolated thinker (Dale, Adamson & Serres, 1998-99). His thought can be challenging (personally and academically) when for example, cultural similarities are drawn between the space shuttle Challenger accident (reinforced by the 2003 Columbia disaster) and human sacrifice within Carthaginian worship of Baal (Serres & Latour, 1995, pp.125-166) and the view that the West hates children (Serres, 1997, p.6). Despite such criticism Serres’ work is extraordinary in its disciplinary bandwidth. He provides a snapshot in a tantalising and marvellous way of the myriad of discoveries we see when several surfaces are scratched together, paper, stone, wood, fabric, cyberspace and skin; possibilities born of every discipline and others yet to emerge.

Given the potential appeal of his work in the humanities, environmental, interdisciplinary studies and multidisciplinary working, Serres is too often overlooked. Serres is a Janus-like figure, but in addition to looking simultaneously to the future and past, he stands on the bridge seeking to facilitate traffic between the sciences and humanities. Rather than looking one way only and commanding “you shall not pass” in a Tolkinesque tumult, Serres wants to alter the perspectives of these two encampments.

Eric Sutic

Using the sciences, humanities, especially history, literature, politics and myth Serres develops ideas using tropes such as noise, the multiple, the parasite and others. The resulting messages ultimately translate into love and evil, violence at a personal and atomic level being a key focus. Myth and history can inform everyday life and science.

Serres' texts are built around a central theme; although this may not be clear from the outset as the objects and subjects Serres presents include statues, angels, mythological figures, the five senses, Lucretius and modern fluid dynamics. His books are highly individualised wanderings, a path that is not direct and cleared of specious argument by the sharp edge of logic, honed by Occam’s razor. This does not mean that Serres output is unstructured, that he fails to explain, fails to achieve his goal. On the contrary critics have identified development in his thought. A book such as Le Contract Natural builds on previous work, even if not referred to directly. Serres provides a snapshot in a tantalising and marvellous way of the myriad of discoveries we see when several surfaces are scratched together, paper, stone, wood, fabric, cyberspace and skin; possibilities born of every discipline and others yet to emerge.

I will mention the main themes in selected texts – a customary approach – to further indicate the scope of Serres' thought. A series of books Hermes I-V deal with communication, but in a way that highlights the need for a dynamical reading throughout the author’s oeuvre. Hermes is also an ideal trope to explore Hodges model being the philosopher of plural spaces; and therefore equipped to navigate the passages between disciplines, between distinct epistemologies (Assad, p.9). Les Cinq Sens explores language, signs and the senses, but not in a serial manner. Language as a screen acts as both a barrier to passage and facilitates passage. In modern health care language is also screen. People generally and health professionals in particular will use language to avoid difficult subjects and issues. People are not only screened within disciplines, each with its own vocabulary and terms, but they must pass through gate keeping services in order to access services. Another pivotal service that people should be able to access is education. Could Hodges model facilitate this passage?

A book such as Le Contract Natural that argues for a natural contract with the Earth, to bring order as the Social contract has brought order to how people relate. Le Contract Natural deals with the issue of the 21st century global environmental change, and builds on previous work even if this is not referred to directly. If people fail to co-operate, accept discipline, act as a team on board ship they are imperilled. The planet Earth is our ship and we are all crew members.

Intro : You are here : h2cm : Fused : Info2Care : Art-Science : Lang2Care : Global Reach & Close

References:

Abbas, N. (Ed.) (2005) Mapping Michel Serres, Univ. of Michigan Press.

Dale, C., Adamson, G. A (1998-99) Michel Serres Interview, part I & II. Available at
[http://www.thepander.co.nz/culture/mserres5.php] Accessed Oct 11 2005.

Serres, M. (1997) The Troubador of Knowledge. S. Faria Glaser & W. Paulson (trans). University of Michigan Press.

Serres, M. (1995) Conversations on Science, Culture, and Time. With Bruno Latour, trans. Roxanne Lapidus, Ann Arbor: University of Michigan Press.