French Literature Reviews - 2026

B. Andrieu, La langue du corps vivant. Émersiologie 2
Philosophy, Anthropology and Ideas

La langue du corps vivant. Émersiologie 2

Bernard Andrieu

Vrin

ISBN 978-2-7116-2821-6

12.00 €

256 p.

OVERVIEW

The living body speaks through involuntary micro-movements: muscle twitches, micro-tensions in the limbs, reflexes, etc. Facial expressions of emotion are not only non-verbal, but also kinetic. It is in this sense that we can speak of the language of the living body. However, speaking with the body does not mean speaking the body. Indeed, what role does consciousness of the lived body play in bodily language? Can the secret language of the body reduce the emersion of bodily life to mere non-verbal communication? This second volume of Emersiology seeks to demonstrate what the living organism reveals about our body and what our body reveals about us, while characterizing the language that makes this relationship possible.

The study of the body in philosophy often distinguishes between the biological organism and the conscious experience of the lived body. In this context, the concept of emersiology explores the relationship between the living organism and our conscious awareness of the body. This field examines how involuntary physical signals, such as micro-movements and reflexes, function as a form of bodily language.

This second volume of Emersiology seeks to demonstrate what the living organism reveals about the body, focusing on involuntary micro-movements like muscle twitches, micro-tensions, and kinetic facial expressions. It questions whether this bodily activity can be reduced to non-verbal communication, and explores the role of consciousness in bodily language. Readers interested in the philosophy of the body and the relationship between biology and consciousness may find it relevant.