"Archipel des passions" presented at Théâtre Princesse Grace

©Direction de la Communication / Manuel Vitali

Charlotte Casiraghi, President of Philosophical Encounters of Monaco, and Robert Maggiori, philosopher and founding member of the organisation, presented their book Archipel des passions (Archipelago of Passions) at the Théâtre Princesse Grace yesterday.

Published by Seuil on 1 March 2018, this dual-authored treatise on passions is the result of numerous conversations between the former student and her teacher who, over time, became friends. It comprises around forty entries, with headings such as: Love, Cruelty, Patience, Modesty, Disgust, Adoration, Admiration, Arrogance, Mercy, Fraternity, Sweetness, Boredom, Sadness, Jealousy, and so on. “Anyone can take up this book and find themselves in every chapter. The list of emotions is a long one, and we could have included further entries. In this respect, there is no end, it is open to continuation,” said Charlotte Casiraghi.

Robert Maggiori emphasised the highly personal aspect of the book: “none of the texts were written without our full engagement, emotionally as well as intellectually.”

Together, they were keen to make Archipel des passions accessible to everyone since “no one can say that philosophy does not apply to them. It does not offer advice, but it helps us to understand ourselves. It is relevant to everyone.”