A Philosophy of Walking

By Frederic Gros

“Asks why so many of our writers and philosophers have also been indefatigable walkers.” – Financial Times

”It is only ideas gained from walking that have any worth.” - Nietzsche

By walking, you escape from the very idea of identity, the temptation to be someone, to have a name and a history ... The freedom in walking lies in not being anyone; for the walking body has no history, it is just an eddy in the stream of immemorial life.

In A Philosophy of Walking, a bestseller in France, leading thinker Frédéric Gros charts the many different ways we get from A to B — the pilgrimage, the promenade, the protest march, the nature ramble — and reveals what they say about us. Gros draws attention to other thinkers who also saw walking as something central to their practice. On his travels he ponders Thoreau's eager seclusion in Walden Woods; the reason Rimbaud walked in a fury, while Nerval rambled to cure his melancholy. He shows us how Rousseau walked in order to think, while Nietzsche wandered the mountainside to write. In contrast, Kant marched through his hometown every day, exactly at the same hour, to escape the compulsion of thought. Brilliant and erudite, A Philosophy of Walking is an entertaining and insightful manifesto for putting one foot in front of the other.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Verso
• Release date: Apr 1, 2015
• ISBN: 9781781686447

Frederic Gros

Fr�d�ric Gros is a Professor of Philosophy at the University of Paris XII and the Institute of Political Studies, Paris. He was the editor of the last lectures of Michel Foucault at the Coll�ge de France. He has written books on psychiatry, law, and war as well as the best-selling Philosophy of Walking. He lives in Paris.

Reviews for A Philosophy of Walking

[randymetcalfe · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Not philosophy, I think. Though many philosophers get mentioned along with poets, painters, and thinkers ancient and modern. Basically, Gros thinks walking — that is, “real” walking — is good. It’s great! Apart from any health benefits that may accrue to the walker (i.e. real walker), there are less well-codified benefits such as a connection to the earth, which is apparently a good thing, and a connection to nature in its broadest sense (again, a good thing, says Gros). Also, you can sometimes get from one place to another by walking, even places very far away. It’s just one foot in front of the other. The same is true, however, even if the place you are getting to is the place you set out from in a longish circular walk. However, strolling about city streets, peering into the shops, noticing others walking near you, being a flâneur if you will, is not good. It’s bad. As Walter Benjamin long ago explained. But real walking, going for long (sometimes very long) hikes by yourself with as little gear as possible, is good.Even if you aren’t convinced by Gros’ overall project, there may still be part of this book that you will enjoy. He is, after all, a fine wordsmith and his enthusiasm for his subject(s) goes a long way. The book divides, for the most part, into chapters of semi-historical biography (on such figures as Nietzsche, Rimbaud, Rousseau, Thoreau, Nerval, Proust, and Gandhi) which are pleasantly informative, and alternating chapters in which Gros gets a bit more speculative. However, no coherent philosophical treatment of walking emerges. Which leaves the reader merely with enthusiasm. And perhaps that’s what you’ve come to this book for in the first place. Thus, success.It’s a gentle read which might well accompany a long walk far away from anywhere.

[jbarringer-2 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

This is a very French series of short essays about walking, an ambling approach to the concept of walking, drawing on philosophers, writers and cultural history. While not all of this book is as directly applicable to all readers, Gros does inspire his readers to think more about walking and hiking and why we gravitate to these activities.

I would recommend reading this book a few chapters at a time, as it was a bit too tediously repititious and drowsily philosophical to read all at once.

[matt.kay · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Excellent book to add to the ever growing list of books on the simple art of walking.

[steve38 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

An excellent book on walking and philosophy, not to mention philosophers. The author uses philosophers who walked to illustrate thoughtful aspects of walking. From repetition to solitude via pilgrimage and political protest. An inspiring book for the walker. It's not all about getting a breath of fresh air and some exercise.

[katsmiao · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

lots of great quotes from great thinkers/writers, and lots of information about the people cited/featured.

somewhat dry to read in some areas, but the interesting info kept me going through.

[ctpress_1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

This was just the book on walking I had hoped for - and so much more. Gros looks at several great thinkers and artists who were also great walkers - and points to the inspiration they each found in walking. From Nietzsche who thought out his philosophy ever ascending mountains, to the frantic never ending walking of Rimbeau, the “wildman” Thoreau immersed in the beauty of nature, the slow city-stroll of Kierkegaard in order to feel connected to people, Kants obsessive daily one-hour walk, and Gandhis walk as protest and as means to a simple lifestyle. So many aspects of walking are presented - and a lot resonated with me. I loved the brief portraits - but also the interspersed brief essays where Gros reflects on different aspects of walking. The emphasis here is not the physical benefits of walking - or walking as “sport” - although it’s touched upon, but more the mental, psychological and spiritul aspects of walking - in chapters like “slowness”, “silences”, “eternities”, “heaviness” and “repititions” Gros really display his own philosophy of walking - one where body, mind and spirit melt together with nature and being - being in the present, unburdened, attentive to the small things, the simple life, the unhurried existence.It’s simply a beautiful book, and so many sentences and passages are now underlined and needs further reflection.