The Case Against Travel

"Although people like to talk about their travels, few of us like to listen to them." With this opening salvo, philosopher Agnes Callard dismantles our cherished assumptions about travel. This isn't another complaint about tourists—it's a genuine inquiry into transformation, change, and the ways we avoid confronting life's finitude. Callard's essay asks uncomfortable questions: Does travel actually change us, or do we simply perform change? Are we seeking transformation or escape? At just 20 pages, it's the kind of reading that stays with you long after you've turned the final page—particularly the next time someone asks about your vacation. Eris Gems are small pamphlets that capture brilliant ideas in their most distilled form—arguments substantial enough to challenge, compact enough to finish in a single sitting. Each pamphlet presents a single thesis from contemporary thinkers. Agnes Callard is a Professor of Philosophy at the University of Chicago.  By Agnes Callard, 20 pages, published by Eris Editions