French Literature Reviews - 2026
B. Binoche, Écrasez l'infâme!. Philosopher à l'âge des lumières
Philosophy, Anthropology and Ideas
"Écrasez l'infâme!" - Philosopher à l'âge des lumières
Bertrand Binoche
Publication date: 10/11/2018
Publisher: Fabrique (La)
ISBN: 978-2-35872-170-7
EAN: 9782358721707
Page count: 270 p.
Being "the homeland of the Enlightenment" is a staple of French self-satisfaction. Yet hasn't this obligatory reverence watered down the message of the Enlightenment and erased the polemical force driving the works of figures ranging from Montesquieu to Voltaire, and Helvétius to Diderot? In this book, Bertrand Binoche demonstrates how these authors, revered today, were highly controversial in their time—to the point that some spent time in prison. He sheds light on the often violent struggles they waged against what they called "prejudices," against the superstition that fuels "idolatry and despotism," and against slavery—for one is as much a slave to one's prejudices as to one's tyrants.
The Enlightenment was "a general effervescence of minds," as d'Alembert put it. "One certainly does not find a formal, systematic philosophy here, but rather the tireless agitation of intellects moving in all directions with boldness and agility," Binoche writes. "What, then, is the Enlightenment? A new conception of philosophical activity, entirely oriented toward the collective destruction of 'prejudice' and thereby forced to invent new modes of existence for itself. There were many such modes. That is why we speak of the Enlightenment in the plural. And this plural is a marvel."
Bertrand Binoche has been teaching modern philosophy at the Université Panthéon-Sorbonne/Paris-I since 2004. His research focuses primarily on the period from 1750 to 1850, examining the Enlightenment before, during, and after the Revolution, with the question of history as his guiding thread.
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An article on this book can be read on nonfiction.fr:
The eighteenth-century French Enlightenment, often associated with figures like Voltaire, Montesquieu, and Diderot, represents a pivotal moment in Western intellectual history. Rather than a monolithic school of thought, this movement was characterized by a diverse and often decentralized network of writers who challenged established religious and political authorities. Over the centuries, however, the institutionalization of these authors has sometimes obscured the radical nature of their critiques. By examining how these philosophers contested the social and intellectual norms of their era, Bertrand Binoche seeks to recover the original, contentious spirit that animated their work.
During this period, the fight against prejudice and superstition was not merely an academic exercise but a dangerous endeavor that could lead to imprisonment. Philosophers viewed intellectual captivity as directly linked to political tyranny and physical servitude. Binoche, whose historical research focuses on the century spanning from 1750 to 1850, traces these diverse modes of philosophical existence and their collective efforts toward intellectual liberation. Readers interested in the history of modern philosophy, the French Enlightenment, and the political stakes of intellectual freedom may find this study relevant.