Philosophy of the Home: Domestic Space and Happiness

(Paperback)

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A searching account of the ethics and aesthetics of the home- the place that is most important in determining human happiness A bedroom, a kitchen, a bathroom - are these three rooms all that make a home Not at all, argues Emanuele Coccia. The buildings we inhabit are of immense psychological and cultural significance. They play a decisive role in human flourishing and, for hundreds of years, their walls and walkways, windows and doorways have guided our relationships with others and with ourselves. They reflect and reinforce social inequalities; they allow us to celebrate and cherish those we love. They are the places of return that allow us to venture out into the world. In this intimate, elegantly argued account, Coccia shows how the architecture of home has shaped, and continues to shape, our psyches and our societies, before then masterfully leading us towards a more creative, ecological way of dwelling in the world.

Reviews

An insightful book that illuminates the rooms you live in and makes you understand what they mean * la Repubblica *
An anthem in praise of the home * Die Presse *

Author Bio

Emanuele Coccia is a philosopher teaching at the cole des Hautes tudes en Sciences Sociales in Paris. He has lectured and taught courses at several universities, including Tokyo, Buenos Aires, Amsterdam, Harvard and Columbia, and collaborated on many art exhibitions in France and Italy. He is the author of numerous books translated into several languages, including The Life of Plants (2018). He is a columnist for Liberation and collaborates with Le Monde and La Repubblica. He is currently writing a book on the relationship between fashion and philosophy with Gucci's creative director Alessandro Michele.