François Dagognet's Philosophy of Surfaces: Language and the Body

François Dagognet's two books, "Les noms et les mots" and "Le corps," argue for a philosophy rooted in surfaces, language, and the body. In "Les noms et les mots," Dagognet defends a Cratylian view that words and things are inseparable, opposing the conventionalist stance of Hermogenes. He examines names of people, places, drugs, and cars, as well as poetic language, to argue against arbitrary naming. The book critiques modern assaults on the solidarity between words and things, such as acronyms and excessive orality. "Le corps" proposes three interconnected bodies: the anatomical (objective body), the libidinal (subjective body shaped by personal history), and the social (cultural body). Dagognet reconciles these through a synthesis of philosophy, biology, anthropology, and medicine, advocating for a meta-body that includes organ donation and community. Both books aim to bridge materiality and spirituality, offering a renewed humanism in the face of technological and scientific fragmentation.