The sea as an elsewhere

Although the sea appears as the most hostile of spaces, almost a negative image of our adaptive environment, that has not prevented humans to face it and cross it, up to colonize all the lands and habitable islands in our planet. How could that happen? How can we define our spirit of adventure, and how was it modulated by the presence of the sea? How does the mind of those navigating work? A philosopher and director of research at the Center National de la Recherche Scientifique, Roberto Casati teaches at Paris’ École Normale Supérieure. He deals particularly with metaphysics and phenomenology of spaces and objects. With Columbia University Press he published the book “Insurmountable Simplicities: 39 philosophical conundrums” (with A. Varzi). He is also the author of the novel “La lezione del freddo” (The Lesson of Cold, Einaudi 2017).