Michel Serres, ‘a legend for us to read our world,’ or just a geographer?

Abstract

In pondering the purpose and relevance of the thought of the French philosopher, Michel Serres, this article surveys recent secondary literature about his works in geography, social science, literary and humanities subjects. Where they are thought to be helpful, the article includes some biographical details. It first discusses Serres's prescience as a philosopher of the ecological and climate crises and the Anthropocene. It then considers his democratization of knowledge and knowledge making by analysing aspects of his particular narrative style which was designed to both speak across academic disciplinary boundaries and communicate with wider demographics. Notable amongst the latter are the symbolic mythical, human and more-than-human stock characters that recurred in his thought, speech and writings. The article then gathers together the topographical features and locations which serve as metaphors in his works. Lastly, it considers Serres's legacy as a philosopher of the digital age.