Catalog All books
Françoise Héritier
On Violence A Seminar
How can violence can be put in the service of religion ? What political gains can be made from cruelty ? How does a belief system encompassing hatred end in the massacre of entire populations ? Through reflections on, amongst other things, the Bible, Muslim law, the situation in Colombia, the ethnic cleansing in the former Yugoslavia and the genocide of the Rwandan Tutsi, this book, the product of a seminar organised at the Collège de France by Françoise Héritier in 1995, benefits from a multi-disciplined approach in order to identify and understand a phenomenon which has occasionally plunged societies into a destructive frenzy. Françoise Héritier is a professor at the Collège de France where she heads the Laboratory of Social Anthropology.
Christian Vigouroux
On the Need for Using Force …As long as there are guidelines
An incisive essay on what democracies can do when faced with violence. Thoughtful comments that add depth to current debates about security and respecting freedom. A talented essay-writer who combines political musings and literary references. The author’s high political office grants him a particular legitimacy for commenting on these subjects.
Jacques Tassin
On the Invasion of Species
Invasive species are not necessarily harmful. But they need to be managed and mastered.
Laurence Ostolaza
On the Advantage of Being Born A Love Affair
The desire to have a child is the subject of this moving, timely novel
Christian de Duve, Jean Vandenhaute
On Science and Other Matters
In these posthumously published interviews, the late Christian De Duve, Nobel Prize winner in Medicine, gives his views on some of the major issues of our times
Lionel Naccache
On Being a Subject in Oneself The Talmudic Experience of Spirituality
What does it mean to be oneself? What does it mean to believe? An exploration of the neuroscience and philosophy of subjectivity
Anne Fagot-Largeault
On Becoming, Evolution, and Time
A book of philosophy in which both the general public and specialists will find material for enlightenment and enrichment.
Yves Quéré
On Beauty Twenty-Six Ariettas
Does beauty reside in aesthetic contemplation, intellectual depth, technical achievement? Twenty-six intersecting miscellanea for intellectual happiness.
Jean-François Deniau
The Office of Lost Secrets
La Rochefoucauld once wrote that "neither the sun nor death can be stared at. " The French moralist could have added that truth also can be blinding. Deniau examines several particularly spectacular cases throughout history and under a variety of political regimes, where leaders in the upper echelons of civil and military power have refused to face the truth. He studies major cases in the fields of espionage and international relations, proposing new interpretations of some of these cases, including of the Dreyfus affair. Jean-François Deniau is the author of numerous best-sellers, and a member of the Académie Française.
Claude Fischler
Of Wine
The true wine lover is a rare breed. He doesnt pontificate, instead he asks questions and reflects. When faced with a pompous connoisseur he shuts his eyes so he can sip and taste undisturbed. Which of the two categories do you belong to, reader? Are you a true lover of Bordeaux or a connoisseur of burgundy? What is it that you like about wine? Is it the knowledge that surrounds it or the pleasure it affords? Is it the prestige of a label or the authenticity of its origin? What do all these categories really stand for? The mythology of wine is examined and deciphered in loving detail. Claude Fischler is a sociologist and researcher at Frances Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique.
Philippe Delmas
Of the Next War With Germany
France and Germany are geographically close and yet so different. In this study of the two countries, the author examines French attitudes toward Germany, and wonders whether France will finally be able to rid itself of its traditional fears of its neighbour. Trapped by their anxieties and suspicions, torn apart by internal doubts, will France and Germany cease working hand-in-hand as they did during the Cold War and confront each other as opponents once again? Or will they seize the opportunity offered by European unification and finally learn to understand one another? This book provides the reader with athorough examination of the dilemmas facing both France and Germany.
Marc Jeannerod
Of Mental Physiology A History of the Relationship Between Biology and Psychology
A relative newcomer to the world of science, psychology gives rise to a rivalry between two older siblings, philosophy and biology. This enduring conflict between materialism and spiritualism, which continues today in other forms, without adoubt was the driving force behind its progress. What we know today about the spirit is a result of this history. Biology and psychology have shaped each other in turn. This book represents a riveting study on how two centuries of spiritual quarrelling made possible the modern attempt to establish the inner workings of the mind. A professor of physiology at the Université Claude Bernard, Marc Jeannerod is also the director of an Inserm neurological research team in Lyon.
Christian Delacampagne
Of Indifference An Essay on the Banalization of Good and Evil
What can we forget, and what had we best remember? What is "good" and what is "bad" indifference? Christian Delacampagne proposes a re-evaluation of genocide and of crimes against humanity in the face of an intellectual confusion that leads, according to Hannah Arendt, to a real "banalization of evil." Christian Delacampagne is a philosopher and a journalist at Le Monde.
Jean-Claude Barreau
Of Good Government The Hidden Truths of History and the News
For the edification of the citizens that we are, the author examines philosophical problems that we had considered resolved since the 18th century, in light of current events. A powerful demonstration of the secret pillars of power, which underlines the necessity of the social contract. Jean-Claude Barreau is the Inspector General of National Education, and has held various positions in high-level administration.
François Mitterrand
Of Germany and France
Beyond the lesson of History, beyond the political essay, this book is the moving testament of a man infused with the destiny of his country, instructed by the wars that wrenched it apart and determined to construct an open and confident Europe, one that would be capable of making History instead of suffering it.
André Brahic
Of Fire and Ice Ardent Planets
A journey through the Universe to explore the mysteries of giant planets
Jean Piaget
Of Education
What is the teacher's role and how important is it in a child's education? Should this role include the shaping in the child's mind of the tools with which to grasp and comprehend the world? How should activities be presented so as to be easily understood by children? What are the difficulties that children encounter when resolving mathematical problems? Pedagogical methodology, the role of the educator, and the child's autonomy : these are some of the subjects that Piaget reflected on throughout his life and which remain central to educational concerns today.
Dominique Schnapper
Of Democracy in France
From providential democracy to extreme democracy, the concepts forged by D. Schnapper have now passed into contemporary language. A great voice for democracy (D. Schnapper, the daughter of Raymond Aron, is former member of the Conseil constitutionnel).
David Khayat
Of Blood and Tears
An eminent physician recounts his deepest feelings as he faces death and pain, as well as his own suffering, in the course of treating his patients.