In this book, Casanova shows us the state of world literature behind the stylistic refinements--a world of letters relatively independent from economic and political realms, and in which language systems, aesthetic orders, and genres struggle for dominance.
This volume features over two hundred entries by prominent intellectuals from the French- and English-speaking world, serving as an authoritative guide to twentieth-century French thought. Its unparalleled scope and depth encompass critiques of key figures, movements, and publications that shaped diverse fields, including history, psychoanalysis, film, literary theory, and economics. Contributors explore developments in French thought on topics like pacifism, fashion, gastronomy, technology, and urbanism. More than a reference work, it offers original insights into various subjects. Notable contributors include influential French thinkers and scholars from the U.S., U.K., and Canada, who have played crucial roles in the evolution and dissemination of French ideas. The book features pairings such as Etienne Balibar on Althusser, Judith Butler on Hegel, and Julia Kristeva on Proust. It is organized into four parts: Movements and Currents, covering major schools of thought; Themes, focusing on defining ideas of the century; Intellectuals, providing critical accounts of figures like Derrida and Foucault; and Dissemination, addressing influential journals and media. This comprehensive work captures the richness of twentieth-century French intellectual life.
Do numbers and mathematical objects exist independently of human minds, or are they inventions of our cognition? Are they discovered, as Plato suggested, or constructed by us? Is mathematics a universal language capable of facilitating communication with extraterrestrial civilizations, or is it merely a product of human evolution? Do physical laws genuinely adhere to mathematical principles, or do they merely appear to do so because physicists have learned to interpret them mathematically? These fundamental questions create a divide between Jean-Pierre Changeux, a renowned neurobiologist, and Alain Connes, a prominent mathematician. Their discussions explore the implications of mathematical objects on brain organization and function, examining how brain development influences mathematical reasoning and intelligence. They also delve into ethical considerations, questioning the neural foundations of morality and its social expressions. This engaging dialogue reflects a profound disagreement while seeking mutual understanding, echoing the inquiries of Poincaré, Hadamard, and von Neumann about human experience and intellectual limits. Central to their exploration is the inquiry into why order exists in the world and why it is comprehensible to humanity.