French Literature Reviews - 2026

C. Castoriadis & D. Cohn-Bendit, From Ecology to Autonomy
History, Politics and Society

Cornelius Castoriadis & Daniel Cohn-Bendit, De l'écologie à l'autonomie

Introduction by Philippe Caumières

Paris, Le Bord de l'eau, 2014

108 p. - 10 €

The shared anxiety triggered byovia the awareness of the "apocalyptic potentials of techno-science," to use Cornelius Castoriadis's phrase, is entirely understandable. However, it is of little help, as it ignores the fundamental problem that arises the moment we ask who can provide the expected answers and how to implement them—in other words, the moment we ask: what is to be done concretely?

Cornelius Castoriadis (1922–1997) was a philosopher, economist, and psychoanalyst. In 1949, alongside Claude Lefort, he founded the group Socialisme ou Barbarie, which gave rise to the journal of the same name.
Daniel Cohn-Bendit is a Member of the European Parliament.
Philippe Caumières is a professor of philosophy and one of the leading French specialists on the work of Castoriadis.

The volume brings together the perspectives of philosopher, economist, and psychoanalyst Cornelius Castoriadis alongside those of European Parliament member Daniel Cohn-Bendit. Castoriadis was born in 1922 and died in 1997. In 1949, alongside Claude Lefort, he founded the group Socialisme ou Barbarie, which gave rise to the journal of the same name. The book features an introduction by Philippe Caumières, a professor of philosophy and one of the leading French specialists on the work of Castoriadis.

Readers interested in political philosophy and the intellectual legacy of Socialisme ou Barbarie may find this volume relevant. The shared anxiety triggered by the awareness of the apocalyptic potentials of techno-science is entirely understandable, but it is of little help as it ignores the fundamental problem of what is to be done concretely.