Marcel Conche 
Philosophizing ad Infinitum 
Infinite Nature, Infinite Philosophy

One of France’s preeminent historians of philosophy, Marcel Conche has written and translated more than thirty-five books and is recognized for his groundbreaking and authoritative work in Greek philosophy, as well as on Montaigne. In
Philosophizing ad Infinitum, one of his most remarkable and daring books, Conche articulates a unique and powerful understanding of nature, inclusive of humanity, as infinite in time and space—ever self-renewing, eternal, and beyond complete understanding or control.



In today’s world the notion of infinity is at the core of the crisis humanity faces understanding nature. For the last two hundred years economies have been running at full speed, fueled by the implicit belief that natural resources are infinite; however, it is clear that they are not and that humanity needs to radically rethink the foundations of environmental and economic systems. Conche seeks to begin this rethinking, illustrating along the way insightful and sometimes unorthodox ideas about Plato, Aristotle, Epicurus, Montaigne, Nietzsche, Bergson, and others.

Table of Content

Foreword


J. Baird Callicott



Translators’ Introduction


Herman Bonne and Laurent Ledoux



Preface to the English Translation


Marcel Conche



I. Flashback



II. Presence of the Infinite: Plato and Science in Opposition to the Infinite



III. With and Without Aristotle



IV. With and Without Chrysippus



V. With and Without Epicurus



VI. With and Without Montaigne



VII. A Moment With Omar Khayyam



VIII. Concerning Nietzsche



IX. My Path With and Without Bergson



X. With Pascal and Without Him



XI. With the “Old Sage” and Without Him



Appendix: Correspondence between Marcel Conche and Gilbert Kirscher



Glossarium

Bibliography of Marcel Conche

Notes

Index

About the author

Marcel Conche is Professor Emeritus of Philosophy at the Sorbonne in Paris.
Laurent Ledoux is President of the Belgian Ministry of Transports and Mobility.
Herman G. Bonne is Chief Financial Officer for a private company in Belgium.