Darwin, Bonaparte et le Samaritain: une philosophie de l’histoire par Michel Serres (review)

Reviews 197 new symbolic and metaphorical associations for the Année terrible generation. Given the fragile nature of glass, it was of course particularly vulnerable to the fighting and destruction of 1870–71. During the Prussian bombardments, the siege of Paris, and the Paris Commune, Parisians experienced for the first time the widespread shattering of glass. Scott notes that the breakage of glass had a visual, aural, and tactile effect with deep psychological impact, especially to those who experienced the fighting firsthand: “Broken glass became an inevitable symbol for a broken world” (4). Focusing on the intersection between the material and literary worlds, Scott looks at newspaper and diary accounts from this period and undertakes close readings of texts by Zola, Maupassant, and Huysmans to examine the“fundamental and deliberate”role of glass in their writing in the years after 1870. According to Scott, each writer recognized the symbolism of broken glass from 1870 through the 1880s to elicit images of the destruction of society and of personal identity. After two introductory chapters that examine the glass industry and the context and results of the Année terrible (“Why Glass?” and “Glass and Culture in the Aftermath of the Année Terrible”), Scott dedicates one chapter to each writer: “Shopping for Harmony: Glass, Sound, and the Exhibition Effect in Zola’s Au bonheur des dames”; “Breakdown and Breaking Glass: Glass and Identity Crises in Maupassant’s Short Stories”;“The Ideal Naturalist? Glass, Popular Culture, and Naturalism in Huysmans’s À rebours.” Throughout her study, Scott strives to move beyond a Marxist and materialist criticism of glass as a consumer product to examine the complex symbolism that arises from the intersection of glass as an object and the literary text. Scott’s analysis of material culture and close readings of nineteenth-century literary texts will be of great interest to students and scholars of French literature, history, and culture. Northern Arizona University Erika E. Hess Serres, Michel. Darwin, Bonaparte et le Samaritain: une philosophie de l’histoire. Paris: Pommier, 2016. ISBN 978-2-7465-1098-2 Pp. 185. Serres’s latest project is an ambitious attempt to conceive a new philosophy of history. The philosopher identifies fundamental limitations of traditional historiography . First, Serres posits that the master narrative is problematic due to its uniquely anthropocentric perspective. Serres affirms that human history is inextricably linked to the larger story of the universe. He outlines a biocentric framework for understanding history that places the human saga back into its proper ecological context. Serres reminds us that the human story is merely a chapter in a larger narrative that predates the emergence of our species by billions of years. Highlighting the discoveries of modern science, the philosopher contends that historians now possess the required knowledge to tell the story from the beginning. Serres also maintains that the master narrative is limited to the narrow confines of written forms of language. The creation of writing systems paved the way for historians to record all of the major events that led to the present. The philosopher does not deny the evident utility of this type of human ingenuity that radically transformed society. Nonetheless, he argues that many historians dismiss the invaluable contributions of our human predecessors that existed before our species began to take advantage of our astounding linguistic capabilities to their fullest. Urging historians to reflect upon all of the historical implications of contemporary scientific erudition, Serres asserts that fossils represent a written record of the history of the biosphere. The philosopher underscores that scientists are now able to decipher this “written language,” as evidenced by their ability to create a universal dating system enabling us to catch a glimpse of the history of life itself on this planet. For Serres, modern science offers historical insights that are often overlooked because of our homocentric approach to engaging with historiography. He also pinpoints evident flaws related to our understanding of the present. Although Serres decries the increasing frequency of deplorable terrorist attacks, he theorizes that we live in a period of relative peace in comparison to our not-so-distant ancestors. He cites compelling empirical data suggesting that we are now living in the safest historical epoch...