An Anthropological Guide to the Art and Philosophy of Mirror Gazing

Looking at one's face in the mirror and finding one's self in the mirror are not the same. The former capacity is something we share with other animals; the latter is a skill: something we have to learn. What does it mean and what does it take to find oneself the mirror? This book provides a comparative anthropological enquiry into the unity and diversity of mirror gazing. The reader is encouraged to reflect upon and experiment with different mirror gazes through a range of case studies. Koukouti and Malafouris weave together anthropology with philosophy and draw on examples from literature and experiments from psychopathology in a way that has never been attempted before. The master metaphor is that of the mirror as trap. Mirror gazing is viewed on a par with hunting. Mirroring signifies the hunt for self-knowledge. In a time obsessed with the digital self-image, Koukouti and Malafouris reflect on the structures of consciousness that underpin the different ways of looking at and through the mirror. Combining metaphor, comparison and estrangement, they gesture towards a therapeutic alliance between body and mirroring. This allows us to look in the mirror, and think of our shared humanity differently.

Maria Danae Koukoutiis Research Assistant at the Institute of Archaeology, University of Oxford, UK.

Image and Imagination: A Prolegomenon Chapter 1: About Mirroring: An Introduction PART I: Dis-enchantment Chapter 2: The Image Thief Chapter 3: Beautiful Scars PART II: Re-enchantment Chapter 4: Looking Through the Looking-Glass Chapter 5: The Other in the Mirror Chapter 6: The Gaze of the Shaman PART III Hunters and Prey Chapter 7: The Mirror Trap Chapter 8: How to Look in The Mirror Epilogue Bibliography Index