The first comprehensive introduction to the philosophy of Mario Perniola, which also brings his aesthetics into dialogue with the phenomenon of dandyism.

Enea Bianchi provides the first in-depth introduction to the pioneering thought of 20th-century Italian philosopher, Mario Perniola. Examining Perniola’s entire oeuvre, this book also pushes his philosophy into new directions by investigating the connection between his aesthetics and the philosophical underpinnings of dandyism. Rich in influences, from ancient Stoicism to Roman ritualism, Baroque literature and avant-garde revolutionary movements, Perniola’s philosophy is wide-ranging. This book highlights and explores numerous notions pivotal to understanding Perniola’s thought, including: the “sex appeal of the inorganic”, the “enigma”, “strategic beauty” and the “artistic shadow”. Combining these concepts with three exemplar dandies – George Brummell, Charles Baudelaire and Oscar Wilde – Bianchi demonstrates not only the close relationship between their principles and Perniola’s aesthetics, but their shared, and timely, opposition to the status quo. A dandy philosophy emerges, which challenges the individual not only to refute the ongoing commodification of tastes, emotions and lifestyles, but also to develop a welcoming and loving disposition with respect to the enigma of our prismatic world.

"The Philosophy of Mario Perniola is a long overdue, conceptually rich and insightful introduction into the protean work of Mario Perniola, one of the most significant and distinctive voices in contemporary Italian philosophical and aesthetic thought." - Erik Vogt, Gwendolyn Miles Smith Professor of Philosophy, Trinity College, USA

"Work on Mario Perniola is especially timely and this book does a lot more than merely fill a gap. This is a monograph with a difference as novel comparisons with phenomena not directly related to Perniola’s canon of reference drive multiple transversal resonances with Continental Philosophy, Cultural Studies, New Materialism and Ecocriticism. A deeply fascinating book." - Federica G. Pedriali, Professor of Literary, Metatheory and Modern Italian Studies, University of Edinburgh, UK