Desire, a philosophy

Presentation

“What would a life without desires be worth? It is their variety and intensity that moves us to action and makes us feel fully alive. »

Desiring to live is not simply being alive. It is letting ourselves be carried away by the vital impulse which leads us to create, to love, to surpass ourselves. It is cultivating the power of desire which is the driving force of our existence. However, on a daily basis, we feel many limitations – “I'm not capable”, “It's too risky”, “It's not for you” – which inhibit us. We are often also prisoners of the impulses of our primary brain, the striatum , and of consumerist propaganda which push us to always acquire more. How can we cultivate the strength of desire without falling into the trap of permanent dissatisfaction or social mimicry? How can we develop our vital power without censoring ourselves? How can we learn to direct our desires towards things, activities or people that make us grow and bring us joy?
From Plato to René Girard via Buddha, Aristotle, Epicurus, Spinoza, Nietzsche, Jung and Bergson, Frédéric Lenoir revisits the great thinkers of desire to offer us a lucid and vibrant book, embodied in our most current issues. A work accessible to all, which helps not only to live, but to live to the fullest.

• Flammarion, November 9, 2022 – 240 pages

EAN: 9782080415806
ISBN: 9782080415806

Media

France 2 – “What an era!” hosted by Léa Salamé
Replay of the show broadcast on November 5, 2022