On the complex aesthetics and ontology at work in Etienne Souriaus unique oeuvre

In this concise but expansive exegesis of the philosophical aesthetics of Etienne Souriau, philosopher David Lapoujade provides a lucid introduction to many of the key concepts underpinning Souriaus existential pluralism. Among the various modes of existence that populate a world, Souriau grants particular importance to virtual beingsthe lesserexistences. Always taking the form of a sketch or an outline, the perfection of such existences lies precisely in the incompletion with which they imbue all reality. They exist with a problematizing force, posing questions and inviting the establishment of an art that would make them more real. And yet, for this to happen, another existence must first see themmust be capable of hearing their appealsand must be willing to defend their right to exist.

Through discussions of modern art ranging from the dispossessed characters of Kafka and Beckett to the grids of Agnes Martin and the protographies of Oscar Munoz, Lapoujade leads the reader into a complex philosophical world, brimming with modal existences and animated by a unique conception of creative processes, where the philosopher as artist or artist as philosopher becomes an advocate, defending the right of certain realities to gain in existence. For Souriau, nothing is given in advance, everything is a work in the making: such is the instaurative practice that grounds his entire oeuvre.