Natural Philosophy of Love

by Remy de Gourmont

The Natural Philosophy of

Genres: Philosophy, Nonfiction, French Literature

Paperback

First published January 1, 1922

About the author

People widely read works of Symbolist poet, novelist, and critic Remy de Gourmont of France, an important influence on Blaise Cendrars, in his era.

Reviews

[dejah_thoris · Rating 1 out of 5]

The first few chapters feature the typical essentialist arguments for the differences between men and women. There are also a few racist asides such as noting black people have rougher tongues like those of cats. (I wish I was making that up.) If you press on, you're rewarded with several detailed chapters on animal relations. Gourmont also shares an odd, albeit animal, argument for slavery.

"The sexual co-operation of all the members of a people being useless so far as the conservation of the race is concerned, and, on the other hand, inferior species living as neighbours to a superior species being destined to disappear, slavery is good for the inferiors, as it assures them perpetuity and a sort of evolution suited to their feebleness." (page 135)

Gourmont has a few good moments too, like this one that made me chuckle.

"The maidenhead is, therefore, not peculiar to human virgins, and there is no glory in a privilege which one shares with the marmoset." (page 52)

The book ends with a postscript by the translator, Ezra Pound, who endorses Gourmont's theory by noting "...it is more than likely that the brain itself, is, in origin and development, only a sort of great clot of genital fluid held in suspense or reserve..." (page 169) I have not read any of Pound's work, but that theory isn't motivating me to do so.

Overall, this book was very disappointing because Rarity Press typically publishes better work. Fortunately, my copy is very battered, so I have few qualms about crafting with the pages or pitching it into the fireplace if that proves necessary this winter.

[Lanny · Rating 5 out of 5]

This has a very strange and interesting intro by E. Pound,
and looking at this again, I have to wonder why I am not a Gourmont fanatic. This book is pretty different. A symbolist
describing in lugubrious language the life-cycle of the pipa toad is pretty much a delicacy I would think.

[Lance Grabmiller · Rating 2 out of 5]

The translator's introduction by Ezra Pound is the worst kind of pseudo-science and pseudo-philosophy. You can smell the stench of fascism.

The book begins with a bizarre misinterpretation and dismissal of Darwin that, after the introduction, made me want to throw it out the window. Luckily, I stuck with it and I was absolutely astonished how well read Gourmont was in zoology and his descriptions were a poetic delight. Wherever he came close to talking about humans, or trying to reason beyond his knowledge (like the section on polygamy), his prejudices rear their ugly head. You can feel the sexism and racism coming off his eugenics-like musings. Luckily, these moments are few and far between.

[Ana · Rating 3 out of 5]

Cam sec, dar plin de informatii relevante si in ziua de azi.