Amaury Giraud's thesis defense

Mr. Amaury Giraud defended his thesis "Penser le conservatisme à gauche: genèse, passé, actualité et continuités paradigmatiques d'une philosophie politique singulière" on Tuesday, December 14, 2021 at 1:00 pm.

Abstract: In recent years, a new form of critical thinking seems to have emerged on the intellectual left in France, Europe and even the United States. Mainly based on a Marxist analytical foundation, a number of essayists and public figures are attempting, in work after work, speech after speech, to develop a reading of the world which, in many respects, mobilizes the characteristics of a conservative ideology. In an attempt to understand and explain the mechanisms driving this hypothetical "movement", as well as to trace its historical and philosophical itinerary, we will draw on the writings of Charles Péguy, Simone Wei l, George Orwell, Michel Clouscard, Pier Paolo Pasolini, Régis Debray, Jaime Semprun, Christopher Lasch, Jean-Claude Michéa, Paul Ariès, Michel Onfray, Denis Collin, Alain Finkielkraut and many others. Although the question of the existence of a conservative left will be the main thread running through our study, we will also attempt an exegesis of conservative anti-liberalism, which we will oppose here to progressive anti-liberalism.

Summary : For a few years, a new critical thinking seems to appear on the side of intellectua l left in France, in Europe and, also, in the United-States of America. Mostly based on a Marxist point of view, a lot of essayists and public figures try to elaborate an ana lysis of the world which, more or less, calls out the characteristics of a conservative ideology. Attempting to understand and to explain the mechanisms which make of this possible "movement" an operative one, and also to expose its historical and philosophical roots, we will use and quote many writers as Charles Péguy, Simone Weil, George Orwell, Michel Clouscard, Pler Paolo Pasolini, Régis Debray, Jaime Semprun, Christopher Lasch, Jean-Claude Mlchéa, Paul Ariès, Michel Onfray, Denis Collin, Alain Finkielkraut and many others. Even if the goal of our work will be the demonstration of the existence of a left conservative political philosophy, we will also realize an exegesis of the conservative illiberalism, here considered as the opposite of the progressive illiberalism.

Key words: Conservatism, Left, Antîlibéralisme, Socialisme, Marges politiques, Marxisme

Jury members:

• Mr Eric SAVARESE, University of Montpellier, Thesis supervisor
• Mr Alexandre VIALA, University of Montpellier, Thesis co-supervisor
• Mr Eric DESMONS, Université Paris XIII- Sorbonne Paris Nord, Rapporteur
• Mr Patrick TROUDE-CHASTENET, University of Bordeaux, Rapporteur
• Mr Bruno DAUGERON, Université Paris V - Descartes, Examiner
• Mr Alexandre DÉZÉ, University of Montpellier, Examiner