French Literature Reviews - 2026
A. Corbin, Histoire du silence
History, Politics and Society
Alain Corbin, Histoire du silence. De la Renaissance à nos jours
Paris: Albin Michel
7 avril 2016, 216 pages
- 16.50 euros
- ISBN: 9782226323781
Publisher's description
Silence is not merely the absence of noise. It resides within us, in that inner citadel cultivated for centuries by great writers, thinkers, scholars, and people of faith. At a time when noise invades every space, Alain Corbin revisits the history of an era when speech was rare and precious. As a precondition for contemplation, reverie, and prayer, silence is the intimate realm from which speech emerges.
Monks have devised a thousand techniques to exalt it, culminating in the Carthusians who live without speaking. Philosophers and novelists have shown how nature and the world are far from being empty distractions. However, around the 1950s, a rupture occurred, and silence lost its educational value. The hyper-mediatization of the 21st century compels us to be part of the collective whole rather than attuned to ourselves, altering the very structure of the individual.
Rediscovering the school of silence is the purpose of this book, in which every quotation is an invitation to meditation and introspection. With that taste for the elusive which has given rise to his greatest works (The Foul and the Fragrant, Village Bells...), Alain Corbin invites us to listen to a different kind of History.
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An article on this work can be read on nonfiction.fr:
Alain Corbin is renowned for his pioneering work in the history of sensory experiences and everyday life, often turning his attention to overlooked historical phenomena such as smells, sounds, and rural landscapes. In this study, he traces the shifting perceptions of quietude across modern European history, contrasting the contemplative traditions of monastic life and philosophical introspection with the relentless noise of contemporary society. By examining how writers, thinkers, and religious orders approached the cultivation of inner quiet, the author highlights the profound anthropological rupture that occurred during the mid-twentieth century.
This reflective volume will appeal to historians, cultural critics, and general readers interested in intellectual history, environmental awareness, and the philosophy of communication. It serves as a thoughtful meditation on the modern human condition, offering a historical framework to understand why preserving spaces for solitude and reverie remains a vital challenge in an increasingly hyper-connected world. Readers seeking to deepen their understanding of how sensory environments shape thought and emotion will find this exploration both timely and deeply illuminating.