In Vivo

"Human life is never uniform; its course is frequently punctuated by unexpected and often transformative moments which alter its development. What are the characteristics of such life-defining moments, what responses do they evoke and how do they come to prompt significant transformations in the lives of those who experience them? In Vivo: A Phenomenology of Life-Defining Moments explores foundational questions of human life and experience in a manner both lucid and profound. Wide-ranging in scope and appeal, Csepregi's book addresses the matter of life's pivotal moments from various angles. Engagement with a foreign culture, the decision to break free from infelicitous circumstances, an exceptional generous action undertaken in the context of an otherwise regular day, among others, are the kind of experience that Csepregi discusses in terms of their life-altering potential. Further, through illustrative reference to examples both real and fictional, Csepregi reveals the primacy of personal feelings in shaping human life and demonstrates the formative educational power of these moments outside the traditional context of formal education. In an age marked by increasing anxiety about the flattening and homogenizing tendencies of contemporary life, In Vivo: A Phenomenology of Life-Defining Moments is both timely and revelatory. Informed by deep familiarity with established traditions of philosophical thought, its illuminations will speak clearly and powerfully to all those concerned to better perceive and understand those moments that define the nature and quality of life."--