Philosopher's new book on French thought

André Comte-Sponville has published Philosopher à la française (PUF), a compilation of nearly forty years of his philosophical reflections and studies. The book offers insight into his personal journey through the landscape of French philosophy.

Philosophizing as self-improvement

Comte-Sponville describes philosophizing as thinking beyond what one knows and even beyond what one can know, with the goal of living better or at least less poorly. He argues that this is achieved not by changing the world but by transforming oneself through thought, asceticism, or meditation.

Rejection of modern pretensions

Comte-Sponville recalls that by the late 1970s, the idea of not pretending to like what one did not like had become outdated. The era's fascination with modernity, structures, and avant-garde movements had largely abandoned this principle, which he initially accepted with nostalgia before challenging it.

Intellectual solitude and personal integrity

Over time, Comte-Sponville found that his growing intellectual solitude did not bother him. Instead, it sharpened his personal preferences and gave him the confidence to embrace them. He refused to feign admiration for things he found disappointing or absurd, even if they were considered cutting-edge or brilliant.

Critique of contemporary art and literature

He was particularly critical of "contemporary art," which he viewed as pretentious and empty, especially in the visual arts. This attitude often left him in a state of frustration, a sentiment shared by many of his artist friends. This criticism fueled his desire to resist rather than conform to the trends of his time.

Connection with Lévi-Strauss

Comte-Sponville notes that his perspective aligned with that of Claude Lévi-Strauss, who also lamented the decline of traditional artistic skills and the "unbearable boredom" of modern literature. This shared view reassured him and reinforced his own beliefs. He recalls that he was young at the time and had once, like Rimbaud, longed to be "absolutely modern," as the era encouraged.