Prince Pierre of Monaco Foundation - Conference - "Writing with animals" - Vinciane DESPRET - Tuesday 7 June at 6.30 pm. - Grimaldi Forum

Vinciane DESPRET. © Sylvère Petit

The prolific author is fascinated by the relationship between humans and animals. From her early studies of altruism in birds, to the relationship with loved ones we have lost, Vinciane Despret draws us into her world and inspires us to think about new ways of being human on Earth.

The philosopher William James was adamant that not only do earthly things “have personal lives”, but that they tell real stories that make up the fabric of the universe. Some philosophers and historians have since sought to take note of the possibility, particularly for animals, to actively “create meaning” through traces and marks in a way that Michel Serres has associated with writing.  Thus, humans might not be the only ones who tell stories, or indeed contribute to writing history... While this idea has been explored thoroughly in science fiction (in the works of Ursula Le Guin, for example), it now seems to have taken root in certain scientific works and could open up the possibility of writing with living things, in intricate stories. “Arachnean” tales that give a new meaning to the theory suggested by Jakob von Uexküll in A Foray into the Worlds of Animals and Humans: “All subjects weave relationships like spider’s webs with certain characteristics of things, and interlace them to create a network that bears their existence”.

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Free admission -  Reservation recommended at www.fondationprincepierre.mc

Information: (+377) 98 98 85 15