Badiou and the Philosophers: Interrogating 1960s French Philosophy

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Between 1965 and 1968, the celebrated French philosopher Alain Badiou hosted a televised series in which he interviewed some of the most influential contemporary philosophers of the period, including Michel Foucault, Paul Ricoeur, Michel Henry and Michel Serres. This book presents the first English-language translation of those interviews. Although Badiou had yet to publish the books that would go on to mark him out as the leading thinker of his generation (Being and Event and Logics of Worlds), his unique approach and highly original ideas are present in each discussion and the interviews present his philosophical origins in a lively and engaging context. More importantly these highly accessible and entertaining interviews provide a snapshot of French philosophy in the 1960s, setting the scene for the very public and political context of philosophy in the period immediately preceding the events of May '68, where philosophy played a crucial role. The book includes a new essay by Badiou in which he reflects on the project 30 years on.

Reviews

In providing skeletal versions of these important broadcast transcripts to English readers for the first time, and in bringing attention to Alain Badious critical place in the history of contemporary French philosophy, Tho and Bianco have performed a welcome service. There is little doubt that Badiou and the Philosophers: Interrogating 1960s French Philosophy will be of interest to a wide range of scholars of philosophy, media, and the history of contemporary France. -- Tamara Chaplin * H-France Review *
Before he became one of the most important thinkers of his generation, French philosopher Alain Badiou hosted a series of televised interviews with the leading philosophies of the age. This volume marks the first time that these interviews have been made available in English translation, and that alone is enough to make this a valuable edition to the library of any scholar or teacher of twentieth-century French philosophy [] Badiou and the Philosophers should prove to be a very fruitful source discussion in advanced courses on European philosophy and an excellent complement to a reading of the works of any or all the philosophers featured in it. Students of post-war French thought will find it an invaluable resource, for it provides insight into an important moment in French philosophical and culture history. Most significantly, perhaps, it allows us to see some of the greatest intellectuals of the era in an unguarded moment, discussing ideas that matter to them. -- Gina Zavotta, Kent State University * Teaching Philosophy *

Author Bio

Tzuchien Tho is an Associated Researcher at the Centre Internationale d'Etude de la Philosophie Contemporaine, Paris, France.