Existential Dialogues

with wild animals, plants, and other creatures
 

Once upon a time…

Once upon a time, there was a mysterious domain in which animals, plants and other wild creature were speaking.

The mystery, however, was less in the domain itself nor its inhabitants gifted with speech. It resided in the fact that at certain times of the day, but never on a regular schedule, it was possible to hear them clearly.

It began inexplicably on a fine September day and ended when half of the characters almost simultaneously left the domain. All the exchanges then became once again incomprehensible and returned to their state of natural noises.

The following dialogues and the pages Aphorisms and Why? are thus the transcription of a few months of eavesdropping. They offer a rare glimpse of what animals, plants and other wild creatures sometimes say…

They also offer the possibility of reflecting on our existence and our beliefs with a new approach.

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NB1: to know more about the domain, its inhabitants and the different ways to read these dialogues, scroll toward the end of this page.

NB2: the 3 dialogues below are the last published, but you can start reading them in chronological order by starting here.

dialogues existentiels

Existentiel dialogue 40: when an end is also a beginning

Gottfried the bird and Simones the green berries talk about the recent changes in the domain.
Read More "Existentiel dialogue 40: when an end is also a beginning"
squirrel

Existential dialogue 39: the dynamics of soft revolutions

Luce the squirrel, Charmide and Mickael the deer and Niccolò the serpent form an alliance.
Read More "Existential dialogue 39: the dynamics of soft revolutions"
animal nature and human culture

Existential dialogue 38: the sources of philosophy

Peter the hawk and Davina the goose note that it is not always the right time to philosophize.
Read More "Existential dialogue 38: the sources of philosophy"

About these existential dialogues

There are 40 of them + some on the Why? page. Each is followed by an Analysis section and 2 suggestions for Possible discussions. They form a good introduction to philosophy for all ages.

You will find wild ideas there if you are a student in philosophy or theory of knowledge, if you teach an introduction to philosophy at any level, if you are part of a philo-café or if, quite simply, you are curious about the world of thoughts.

The other dialogues between the eagles and the child are on the Why? page. They form a separate set but they also allow discussions.

To read what the owl says, it’s on the Aphorisms page. She only speaks at night and only to her companion; each of her aphorisms are complex enough to allow multiple interpretations.

Map of the domain

once upon a time

The 14 speakers of the existential dialogues + the owl, the eagles and the child

existential dialogues
Around the ponds

Around the ponds:

  • Baruch the heron (often on the shores of the small pond).
  • Irinas the dead leaves (on the medium pond).
  • Emmanuelles the turtles (often on the shore of the medium pond).
  • Davina the goose (often on the big pond).

Somewhere else in the domain:

  • Luce the squirrel (everywhere).
  • Socrates the stick (everywhere).
  • Gottfried the bird (often next to the ponds).
  • Simones the green berries (on the heights)
  • Emilies the blue berries (on the heights, then at Socrates’).
  • Peter the hawk (often next to the rest of the world).
  • Friedrich the owl (everywhere, but she never participated in any dialogues; she only speaks with aphorisms)

In the outer reaches:

  • Aurelius the angel (when he is sleeping).
  • Jacques Adam and René Georg the eagles (sometimes)
  • Bertie the child (when the eagles are there).

Beyond the outer reaches:

  • Niccolò the snake.
  • Charmide and Mickael the deer.

Reading options

You’ll have 3 choices to read these existential dialogues once they are all published:

  • read them in chronological order to follow the story from the beginning. Start by Existential Dialogue 1 then follow the arrows.
  • read them randomly as each dialogue stands by itself (see List of dialogues once you have opened a dialogue).
  • read them by choosing the characters talking, or the themes discussed (see below).

Lastly, don’t forget the pages Aphorisms and Why? to read what the owl, the eagles and the child say.