Through Vegetal Being

July 1, 2016

Irigaray (director of research in philosophy, Centre Nationale de la Recherche Scientifique, France; In the Beginning, She Was) and Marder (Ikerbasque Research Professor of Philosophy, Univ. of the Basque Country, Spain; Plant-Thinking) each reflect on a common list of chapter titles. Irigaray draws on Antigone and the biblical Book of Genesis to make sense of the "sexuate" nature of our being and relationship with others: plant, animal, and human of both genders. The second half is Marder's contribution, rethinking human (in)attentiveness to plant life, and the impact such attention should have on the project of philosophy. Readers must decide whether to jump into Irigaray or Marder first, or move back and forth between the two. There is no coverage of science, gardening, or farming; only walks in the woods and a plant on Marder's desk. Irigaray spends too much time on her biography, before finally addressing the vegetal emphasis of the book. And Marder, despite the importance of his contributions, does not substantially go beyond his earlier work. Even those sympathetic to Marder's project and his enlistment of Irigaray into the discussion will doubt the success of this project--a judgment the author admits in the second part's epilog. VERDICT Recommended to readers interested in the connections between feminist and ecological philosophy.--Steve Young, McHenry Cty. Coll., Crystal Lake, IL

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