The Meaning of Travel : Philosophers Abroad

How can we think more deeply about travel? This question inspired Emily Thomas to journey into the philosophy of travel, exploring the fascinating places where philosophy and travel intersect.

Part philosophical ramble, part memoir, The Meaning of Travel begins in the Age of Discovery in the sixteenth century, when philosophers first began thinking and writing seriously about travel. It then meanders forward to encounter the thoughts of Montaigne on otherness, John Locke on cannibals, and Henry Thoreau on wilderness. Along the way, we discover the dark side of maps, how the philosophy of space fuelled mountain tourism, and why you should wash underwear in woodland cabins.

We also confront profound questions, such as the debate on the ethics of 'doom tourism'—travel to endangered places such as glaciers or coral reefs—and how space travel might come to affect our understanding of human significance in a leviathan universe. The first ever history of the places where philosophy and travel meet, this book will reshape your understanding of travel.