On the Animal Trail

French philosopher and environmentalist Baptiste Morizot encourages us to develop a different relationship with nature by becoming detectives of nature and following the footprints of animals. By deciphering and interpreting their footprints and other signs, we can learn to see the world from the animals' point of view and recapture the perspective that our ancestors once had when they had to adopt an animal point of view to survive. This kind of 'philosophical tracking' can enrich our understanding of other species, the world we share with them, and ourselves.

Format: Paperback / softback
Length: 180 pages
Publication date: 18 June 2021
Publisher: Polity Press

From the forests of Yellowstone to the steppes of the Haut-Var, the French philosopher and environmentalist Baptiste Morizot invites us to develop a different relationship to nature: to become detectives of nature and to follow the footprints of the many wonderful and extraordinary animals with which we share the Earth. By deciphering and interpreting an animal's footprints and other signs, we gradually discover not only which animal it is, but also the animal's motives. Through this kind of 'philosophical tracking,' we come to see the world from the animal's point of view, to learn to live in this world from the perspective of another species. We begin to let go of our anthropocentric point of view and to recapture the kind of perspective that our ancestors once had when they had no choice but to adopt an animal point of view if they wanted to survive.

In short, by following animal trails, we learn how to pay increased attention to the living world around us and how to cohabit this world with others, thereby enriching our understanding of other species, of the world we share with them, and of ourselves.

Weight: 248g
Dimension: 129 x 196 x 21 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9781509547180