Geoffroy de Lagasnerie (born 1981), is a French far-left philosopher and sociologist. He is the author of several books, articles and lectures pertaining to

social Social organisms, including human(s), live collectively in interacting populations. This interaction is considered social whether they are aware of it or not, and whether the exchange is voluntary or not. Etymology The word "social" derives from ...

and

political philosophy Political philosophy or political theory is the philosophical study of government, addressing questions about the nature, scope, and legitimacy of public agents and institutions and the relationships between them. Its topics include politics, ...

epistemology Epistemology (; ), or the theory of knowledge, is the branch of philosophy concerned with knowledge. Epistemology is considered a major subfield of philosophy, along with other major subfields such as ethics, logic, and metaphysics. Epis ...

and critical theory, and the sociology of culture and intellectual life; with a particular interest in the work of

Pierre Bourdieu Pierre Bourdieu (; 1 August 1930 – 23 January 2002) was a French sociologist and public intellectual. Bourdieu's contributions to the sociology of education, the theory of sociology, and sociology of aesthetics have achieved wide influence ...

and Michel Foucault.

Biography

Early life and education

Lagasnerie studied at

École normale supérieure de Cachan École may refer to: * an elementary school in the French educational stages normally followed by secondary education Secondary education or post-primary education covers two phases on the International Standard Classification of Education scal ...

, where he received the agrégation in economic and social sciences. He later on received his PhD in Sociology from the

School for Advanced Studies in the Social Sciences The School for Advanced Studies in the Social Sciences (french: École des hautes études en sciences sociales; EHESS) is a graduate '' grande école'' and '' grand établissement'' in Paris focused on academic research in the social sciences. Th ...

Professional life

After teaching at the

Sorbonne Sorbonne may refer to: * Sorbonne (building), historic building in Paris, which housed the University of Paris and is now shared among multiple universities. *the University of Paris (c. 1150 – 1970) *one of its components or linked institution, ...

and Sciences Po universities, Lagasnerie took up a position as a professor of philosophy and human sciences at the École Nationale Supérieure d'Arts in Cergy. He is the director of the ''à venir ''collection published by

Fayard Fayard (complete name: ''Librairie Arthème Fayard'') is a French Paris-based publishing house established in 1857. Fayard is controlled by Hachette Livre. In 1999, Éditions Pauvert became part of Fayard. Claude Durand was director of Fayard ...

Work

His work largely pertains to social and political philosophy,

and critical theory, as well as the sociology of cultural and intellectual life. Additionally, Lagasnerie has been highly critical of the higher education system in France. In 2015 he published ''The Art of the Revolt: Snowden, Assange, Manning.'' The book focused on the role of whistleblowers, particularly Edward Snowden, Julian Assange, and

Chelsea Manning Chelsea Elizabeth Manning (born Bradley Edward Manning; December 17, 1987) is an American activist and whistleblower. She is a former United States Army soldier who was convicted by court-martial in July 2013 of violations of the Espionage A ...

, in maintaining and strengthening democracy. The French weekly journal ''

Les Inrocks ''Les Inrockuptibles'' () is a French cultural magazine. Started as a monthly magazine in 1986, it became weekly in 1995. Now it is a monthly again, since 2021. In the beginning, rock music was the magazine's primary focus, though every issue in ...

'' named Lagasnerie as one of the most influential thinkers in contemporary French culture, and included the book in its list of the most influential essays of 2015. ''The Art of the Revolt'' was translated into English in 2017. In September 2015, Lagasnerie published a ''Manifesto for an Intellectual and Political Counteroffensive'' alongside writer Edouard Louis. Featured on the front page of ''

Le Monde ''Le Monde'' (; ) is a French daily afternoon newspaper. It is the main publication of Le Monde Group and reported an average circulation of 323,039 copies per issue in 2009, about 40,000 of which were sold abroad. It has had its own website si ...

'', and later reprinted in English by the ''

Los Angeles Review of Books The ''Los Angeles Review of Books'' (''LARB'' is a literary review magazine covering the national and international book scenes. A preview version launched on Tumblr in April 2011, and the official website followed one year later in April 2012. ...

'', the letter denounced the legitimization of right-wing agendas in public discourse and offered terms for leftist intellectual reengagement in public debate. In February 2016, Lagasnerie published an article in ''

openDemocracy openDemocracy is an independent media platform and news website based in the United Kingdom. Founded in 2001, openDemocracy states that through reporting and analysis of social and political issues, they seek to "challenge power and encourage de ...

'' titled : "Beyond Powerlessness" which calls for the creation of new political practices. In 2016, Lagasnerie published ''Juger.'' The book is a reflection on the criminal justice system, power and violence. It also includes reflections on the methodology of sociology: in the last chapter, Lagasnerie argues that ethnography is an inherently "conservative" framework for understanding society. The French weekly journal ''Les Inrocks'' included the book in its list of the top events of 2016. Its academic reception was much more mixed, and the book received strong criticism. He is described by

Achille Mbembe Joseph-Achille Mbembe, known as Achille Mbembe (; born 1957), is a Cameroonian historian, political theorist, and public intellectual who is a research professor in history and politics at the Wits Institute for Social and Economy Research at the ...

as "one of the most talented of the new wave of French theory." He is described by

France Inter France Inter () is a major French public radio channel and part of Radio France. It is a " generalist" station, aiming to provide a wide national audience with a full service of news and spoken-word programming, both serious and entertaining, li ...

, a major French public radio channel, as one of the most important intellectuals in France today. He is committed in the antiracist movement and the fight against police brutality in France as part of Comité Adama (after the name of a victim of police brutality). De Lagasnerie co-wrote a book with Assa Traoré on the fight against state violence and police brutality. In his book ''La Conscience Politique'', he argues for a more realist political theory, one that fully acknowledges that state violence is the one thing in one's life that one can never escape.

Publications

Books in English

''Foucault Against Neoliberalism?'', Rowman and Littlefield, 2020 ''Judge and Punish. The Penal State on Trial''. (Trans. Lara Vergnaud). Stanford University Press, 2018. ''The Art of Revolt. Snowden, Assange, Manning''. Stanford University Press, 2017.

Books in French

* ''L'empire de l'université. Sur Bourdieu, les intellectuels et le journalisme'', Amsterdam, 2007. * ''Sur la science des œuvres. Questions à Pierre Bourdieu (et à quelques autres)'', Cartouche, 2011. * ''Logique de la création. Sur l'Université, la vie intellectuelle et les conditions de l'innovation'', Fayard, 2011. * ''La dernière leçon de Michel Foucault. Sur le néolibéralisme, la théorie et la politique'',

, 2012. * ''Que signifie penser'', in François Caillat (dir.), Foucault contre lui-même,

PUF PUF may refer to: * Physical unclonable function, in computer security, a physically-implemented secure identifier * The University Presses of France *Permanent University Fund, for Texas public universities * Pau Pyrénées Airport in France (I ...

, 2014. * ''L'Art de la révolte. Snowden, Assange, Manning'', Fayard, 2015. * ''Juger. L’Etat pénal face à la sociologie,'' Fayard, 2016. * "Penser dans un monde mauvais", PUF, 2017. * ''Le Combat Adama'', with Assa

Traoré Traoré or Traore is a surname of Manding origin ( bm, Taara-oray), as written in French orthography, which is common in Mali, Senegal, Burkina Faso, Ivory Coast and Guinea. In anglophone West Africa the name is often spelled Trawally. Notable peo ...

, Stock 2019 * ''La conscience politique'', Fayard, 2019 * ''Sortir de notre impuissance politique'', Fayard, 2020

Volumes collectifs

* '' Exister socialement. Sur la sociologie et les théories de la reconnaissance,'' in ''Pierre Bourdieu, l'insoumission en héritage''. with Édouard Louis (dir.) Didier Eribon, Frédéric Lordon, Arlette Farge and

Annie Ernaux Annie Thérèse Blanche Ernaux (; born 1 September 1940) is a French writer, professor of literature and Nobel laureate. Her literary work, mostly autobiographical, maintains close links with sociology. Ernaux was awarded the 2022 Nobel Prize ...

. PUF, 2013. * ''Que signifie Penser?'' in ''Foucault contre lui-même'', by François Caillat (dir.), Leo Bersani, Arlette Farge, George Didi-Huberman, PUF, 2014. Translation ''Foucault Against Himself'', Arsenal Pulp Press, 2015.

Articles accessible online

* ''L'inconscient sociologique'', Les Temps Modernes, 3/2009, n^o 654, p. 99-108, lire en ligne
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External links

Official site
* A critical study o
La Conscience Politique

Notes & references

{{DEFAULTSORT:Lagasnerie, Geoffroy de Academic staff of Sciences Po 1981 births 21st-century French philosophers French sociologists School for Advanced Studies in the Social Sciences alumni Living people