Fire. A Forgotten Issue
In his latest book ‘Fire’, philosopher Ignaas Devisch demonstrates why the moment man gained control over fire is such an important tipping point in history. In ancient times fire was a source of fear and fascination. Countless myths and stories were told and written in which fire was attributed to God or the gods. In that way, fire appeared to be a powerful tool.
‘Fire’ is an extremely accessible book with a different, positive take on its subject. This book is for anyone who is concerned about the future of this peculiar globe.Cutting Edge
When modern man, aided by science and technology, was able to tame fire, all of his problems seemed to have been remedied: the control of fire and combustion enabled freedom and progress. What did we still need to worry about? But now our casual attitude towards the destructive force of fire is coming back to haunt us. Fire provides warmth, comfort and security, but it relies on constant destruction to keep it going and the sources are slowly running out. In short, we seem to have forgotten that there are two sides to fire.
Written in a polished style with carefully structured arguments, this reads like a train.De Reactor
In ‘Fire’, Ignaas Devisch develops a new idea, inspired by thinkers such as Peter Sloterdijk and Bruno Latour, about fire’s place in our world. If we plan on maintaining our quality of life, we will need a new source of energy that supports our freedom and wellbeing without destroying the planet and ourselves. The largest fireball in our galaxy – the sun – has this potential. But are we capable of embracing heliocentrism?
His book touches on a fundamental philosophical question: what do we want to keep from the project of Enlightenment, and what do we not?Trouw
Ignaas Devisch makes you reconsider fire and he does so in a light-hearted way.De Volkskrant
