Writing a Different Ending to the “World War” Pitting Humanity Against the Biosphere in Michel Serres and Jacques Derrida’s Philosophy

Although Michel Serres and Jacques Derrida espouse radically different approaches to engaging in philosophical inquiry overall, they both describe our present rapport with the rest of the cosmos as a “world war” that must be ended at all costs. Serres and Derrida posit that the story of this perpetual state of warfare against the Web of Life has deep historical, philosophical, and ideological roots. Specifically, they problematize two of the most pervasive and lethal social constructs, the Genesis myth and the bêtemachine theory, which continue to breed complacency and ignorance.