FAREWELL, EDGAR MORIN...

Edgar Morin’s legacy reads like a manifesto, a veritable guide to navigating an era plagued by doubt…

This intrepid thinker, sociologist and philosopher had clearly understood that bringing different fields of learning together and allowing disciplines to interact was a real asset in understanding our society and, consequently, in imagining its future.

The founder of complex thought always approached his subjects from a pluralistic perspective – a bold departure from the compartmentalised French academic tradition. A visionary, he shook up the sciences by proposing to unite them all into one. His ambitious and mind-boggling analyses offered a new approach to education: ‘The Theory of the Seven Forms of Knowledge’ inspires us deeply, and we base our work on it, particularly our educational programme ‘Media and Critical Thinking’.

In 2020, in the midst of lockdown, he enthusiastically accepted Frédérique Bedos’s invitation to take part in our series of one-to-one interviews: De l’Intérieur. The conversation between these two kindred spirits resulted in a fascinating 55-minute episode in which they discussed multiple crises, utopias, love… and the dawn of a better world.

Edgar Morin’s words resonate deeply with our convictions, and his clarity of thought draws us in! Like us, this whistleblower lamented the anxiety-inducing nature of the mainstream media; like us, he was drawn to the beauty of human fragility; and like us, he called for respect for all living things…