François Jullien's Philosophy on Photography as Shield from the Present

François Jullien's 2011 work 'Philosophie du vivre' examines how photography functions as a protective barrier against direct engagement with the present moment. Tourists disembark from buses to photograph monuments or landscapes, uttering 'how beautiful!' as a label to dispose of the experience, relieved to avoid confronting the immediate world. The camera serves as a screen that shelters from the world's manifestation, erasing what cannot be possessed or consumed. By attempting to eternalize an instant through framing it into an object the eye can capture and revisit, we reduce the intrusion of an outside reality and the breach of the present. This process reestablishes the reassuring distinction between self and world. A similar dynamic occurs when placing a recorder on a lecturer's table—intended as a security system to preserve forgotten words while allowing attention to turn to the direct capture of flowing discourse. The analysis appears in a piece by Mario Porro and Anita Romanello published on June 4, 2026, exploring contemporary avoidance mechanisms through Jullien's philosophical lens.