I think that my passion for animals derives precisely from the fact that they distract us from the anxiety of being one's-self as much as they disrupt the serenity of the visible world.

—from The Dragonfly and the Philosopher

Alain Cugno has made his career in studying and teaching philosophy. He also has a passion for the natural sciences that led him to unite the study of nature with philosophy in this timeless reflection on dragonflies.

In The Dragonfly and the Philosopher, Cugno explores the boundaries between the animal and human worlds, and the frontier between the natural sciences and humanities. His far-ranging thoughts evolve into an epistemological consideration of the nature of philosophy and its connections with aesthetics and meditation. He is accompanied on his intellectual journey by other great minds who have considered the topic—Schopenhauer, Aristotle, Nietzsche, Leibniz, Heidegger, and Plato.

Colorful illustrations amplify Cugno's thinking to produce a charming as well as thoughtful book that will delight nature lovers and philosophers alike.