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MSUā€™s Moser to sign new book on influential French philosopher

MSUā€™s Moser to sign new book on influential French philosopher

Contact: Karyn Brown

Keith Moser (Photo by Beth Wynn)

STARKVILLE, Miss.ā€”An Ļć½¶Ö±²„faculty member will hold a book signing this week for his new work that explores the bold and unique theories of French philosopher Michel Serres and his insights on evaluating major changes in the world today and effectively preparing for the future.

ā€œThe Encyclopedic Philosophy of Michel Serres: Writing the Modern World and Anticipating the Futureā€ (Anaphora Literary Press, 2016) is Keith Moserā€™s fifth book. The Ļć½¶Ö±²„associate professor of French in MSUā€™s Department of Classical and Modern Languages and Literatures will sign books Friday [Sept. 30] from noon-2 p.m. during the inaugural symposium of MSUā€™s Department of Classical and Modern Languages and Literatures. To be held at The Mill at Ļć½¶Ö±²„Conference Center on Russell Street, the symposium continues through Saturday [Oct. 1]. For more, see .

Moserā€™s monograph is the first comprehensive study of Serres, the interdisciplinary philosopher who suggested that engaging philosophical inquiry requires a broad foundation of knowledge, along with the ability to anticipate what will happen in the future based on present observations.

ā€œSpecifically, my book investigates how Serresā€™s encyclopedic vision of philosophy has made him uniquely suited to be one of the most important voices that the 20th century has bequeathed to the 21st,ā€ Moser said.

ā€œAt the dawning of a new millennium, Serres endeavors to comprehend the magnitude of [the] sweeping changes that make us a very different human animal in comparison to our not-so-distant ancestors.Ā In this regard, he has positioned himself to be one of the most relevant philosophers of the future.ā€

Christopher Watkin of Monash University in Australia said in a review of Moserā€™s book that, ā€œAn English-language monograph on Serresā€™s work is long overdue, and it is to be hoped that ā€˜The Encyclopedic Philosophy of Michel Serresā€™ will fan the flames of interest in this thinker ripe for discovery and deployment across a broad set of contemporary fields and concerns.ā€

Ā Moser hopes that many other professionals in various disciplines will begin to engage with Serresā€™s theories.

ā€œWriting this piece was rewarding because I recognized that my latest book is probably my best from an objective standpoint.Ā I started with a clear vision of what I wanted to accomplish, and it truly worked out better than I could have ever imagined,ā€ Moser said.

Lynn Holt, interim department head for classical and modern languages and literatures, expressed pride in Moserā€™s newly completed work.

ā€œDr. Moser is already internationally known for his work on Nobel Prize winner J.M.G. Le ClĆ©zio.Ā In his latest book, Dr. Moser breaks new ground in establishing an organic and holistic eco-criticism, firmly establishing him as an expert on contemporary French thought.Ā Ļć½¶Ö±²„is fortunate to have him in the Department of Classical and Modern Languages and Literatures. CMLL is rapidly becoming known as a center of expertise in cutting-edge research into transnational language and culture,ā€ Holt said.

Moserā€™s latest book has been the No. 1 new release in two different academic categories on Amazon. Moser has written four other books along with many essays that have appeared in refereed periodicals including the French Review, French Cultural Studies, International Journal of Francophone Studies, Interdisciplinary Studies in Literature and Environment (Oxford UP), and Forum for Modern Language Studies (Oxford UP).

The College of Arts and Sciences includes more than 5,000 students, 300 full-time faculty members, nine doctoral programs and 24 academic majors offered in 14 departments. It also is home to the most diverse units for research and scholarly activities, including natural and physical sciences, social and behavioral sciences, and the humanities.

Scholarly output in the humanities have helped place Ļć½¶Ö±²„in the National Science Foundationā€™s top 50. The NSF also ranked Ļć½¶Ö±²„among the top 25 for research expenditures in the social sciences.Ā  For more on MSUā€™s College of Arts and Sciences, visitĀ  and the Department of Classical and Modern Languages and Literatures visit .

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