Bruce Bégout's 'La découverte du quotidien' explores the hidden essence of everyday life

In his latest book, 'La découverte du quotidien', philosopher Bruce Bégout presents a 600-page phenomenological study of everyday life, arguing that the quotidian, though seemingly familiar, is actually the most distant and strange. Bégout critiques contemporary philosophy for its post-metaphysical autopsy and calls for a direct engagement with 'the real' in all its mundane, sticky, and resistant forms. He observes a 'rush on the everyday' in reality TV and contemporary art, but warns against simplistic subversion or celebration of exceptional moments. Instead, he aims to uncover the logos of daily actions, drawing on Simmel's microsociology and Husserl's phenomenology to reveal an ontology of the everyday that transforms our primordial insecurity into a familiar world. The book culminates in an ethics of prudence and practical knowledge, akin to Perec's 'Life: A User's Manual'. Bégout's previous works include 'Zéropolis' (on Las Vegas), 'Lieu commun' (on American motels), and 'L'Éblouissement des bords de routes' (short stories).