Philosophers at Unithèque
In 2019, six authors have been honored with a place in the Unithèque philosophy collection! For the 20th century, Daniel Dennett, Pierre Hadot, Ivan Illich and Peter Singer now have a place in the open access section. For the 21st century, Alexandre Jollien and François Jullien have joined Slavoj Žižek, the first author to have taken their place a few years ago in the ranking by author of the philosophy collection.
Historian of philosophy, philologist and philosopher, Pierre Hadot (1922-2010) is best known for his understanding of ancient philosophy as a way of life and not just a theoretical discourse. From this perspective, he has also highlighted the importance of spiritual exercises in the philosophical way of life, from Antiquity to the present day. To find out more, click here.
Ivan Illich (1926-2002), a critical thinker on industrial society and precursor of degrowth, is best known for his criticism of institutions, particularly schools, but also medicine. In La Convivialité (Conviviality), this cosmopolitan philosopher contrasts industrial and commercial society with a convivial society in which the individual, with the help of tools he or she can control, can preserve his or her autonomy and creativity. To find out more, click here.
A philosopher of the mind, Daniel Dennett (b. 1942) has devoted much of his research to the study of consciousness, from an empirical or naturalistic perspective. In his view, the functioning of consciousness and the mind can be explained by the analysis of natural phenomena, without recourse to internal experience or metaphysical explanation. To find out more, click here.
Australian philosopher Peter Singer (b. 1946) is best known for his reflections on bioethics. In Animal Liberation, published in 1975, he argues against speciesism, defending the moral equality of all sentient beings. He also advocates effective altruism, encouraging people in developed countries to donate part of their wealth to people living in poverty. To find out more, click here.
François Jullien (b. 1951) is a philosopher, Hellenist and sinologist. In his writings, he constantly compares Chinese and European thought, focusing in particular on the differences between these two cultures. This work on difference enables him to question and bring to light possible communities of thought and life between these divergent cultures. To find out more, click here.
Alexandre Jollien (b. Sierre, 1975) is a French-speaking philosopher. Handicapped from birth, he is the author of a dozen books, including L’Eloge de la faiblesse (In Praise of Weakness), written in 1999, in which he explains how to nourish oneself from disability, and turn physical weakness into mental strength. For 20 years now, Alexandre Jollien has been sharing his philosophical and spiritual journey. Far from any jargon or pretension, he places self-building and the search for wisdom at the heart of his questioning and his way of life. To find out more, click here.
Maël Goarzin
Head of philosophy and psychology collections, BCUL site Unithèque
