Ludwig Binswanger and Fernand Deligny on the Human Condition

Philosophical thinking allows itself to be nourished by seemingly non-committal exercises of thought but at the same time seeks forms of irrefutable knowledge. Because of this focus on both the subjective and the universal, philosophy also falls for the lure of the “what-if?” question. What if two legendary artists, writers or philosophers, who did not know each other, did enter into a conversation?  

In this book, Stéphane Symons outlines an (im)possible conversation between Swiss psychiatrist and philosopher Ludwig Binswanger (1881-1966) and French educator, philosopher, poet and filmmaker Fernand Deligny (1913-1996). Although the two never met, this imaginary conversation can offer insight into both authors' thinking and the human condition.

According to Binswanger, self-awareness and social consciousness are the most important and characteristic features of human beings. In contrast, from his contacts with children and adolescents with autism, Deligny emphasizes our ability to interact with the material environment, especially with seemingly insignificant things and nature. Bringing the two thinkers into conversation, Symons sheds new light on what it is to be truly human. In the process, leading roles are played by one of Binswanger's patients, Ellen West, and a young boy with autism, Janmari.

Stéphane Symons is Full Professor of Aesthetics and Philosophy of Culture at the University of Leuven, Belgium.