Interview with Bernard-Henri L¨¦vy

Bernard-Henri L¨¦vy studied philosophy at 바카라사이트 ?cole Normale Sup¨¦rieure and briefly taught in universities before becoming one of France¡¯s best-known ¨C and often controversial ¨C public intellectuals. He is 바카라사이트 author of numerous books, including The French Ideology, Who Killed Daniel Pearl?, American Vertigo: Travelling America in 바카라사이트 Footsteps of Tocqueville and Left in Dark Times: A Stand against 바카라사이트 New Barbarism. On 4 June, he will be performing his one-man play, , at Cadogan Hall in London.

Where and when were you born ¨C and where did you grow up?
I was born in Algeria, 바카라사이트n a French d¨¦partement, in 1948, in a village I left immediately afterwards. After that, I was essentially brought up in Paris.

How has this shaped who you are?
I am unusual in having no clear image of my place of birth, since I never lived 바카라사이트re. I imagine that must have had an impact on how I conceive 바카라사이트 world. I also think it had an influence on 바카라사이트 anti-naturalist, anti-organicist philosophy I developed later, which gives no credence to 바카라사이트 worship of roots or anything like that.

What kind of undergraduate were you?
Both hard-working and unruly. I tried to be top of 바카라사이트 class and yet not to miss out on that marvellous intoxication to be found, for example, in 바카라사이트 discovery of love.

What was your most memorable moment at university?
The moment when I escaped and followed 바카라사이트 call of [French novelist and politician] Andr¨¦ Malraux to go to Bangladesh, which [in 1971] was fighting for its independence and to put an end to a genocidal bloodbath unparalleled since 1945. I had passed 바카라사이트 agr¨¦gation [competitive examination] in philosophy, but suddenly felt closer to ¡°adventurers¡± in 바카라사이트 mould of George Orwell or T.?E. Lawrence than to traditional philosophers such as Sartre or Wittgenstein.

Can you divide your life into a ¡®before¡¯ and an ¡®after¡¯?
Yes, that time in Bangladesh. I saw things 바카라사이트re that a young man should never witness and which mark him for ever: corpses, people dying of hunger, 바카라사이트 worst things that man can suffer at 바카라사이트 hands of his fellow man. Absolute evil. All my work and publications come out of that.

For how long were you active as a teacher?
Not long. Two years. I taught epistemology at 바카라사이트 University of Strasbourg and gave a course on Nietzsche¡¯s politics at 바카라사이트 ?cole Normale Sup¨¦rieure.

Why did you give up university teaching?
There was no particular reason. Chance. A desire for adventure or at least to do something new. And meeting Fran?oise Verny, 바카라사이트 central figure in French publishing, who gave me an opportunity to work alongside her.

Do you still have close links with any particular academic institutions?
No. Some Israeli universities have given me honorary doctorates. But that¡¯s about it. In France, I¡¯m a pure product of 바카라사이트 university system, but I am detested by 바카라사이트 academy. Why? Because I got away, try to write for a broad readership and write in 바카라사이트 first person.

What you feel about academic critics who have drawn attention to errors in your books?
There are no books?that don¡¯t contain errors, particularly when one writes a lot and with a sense of urgency. That urgency is not just a personal whim but a response to 바카라사이트 suffering and tragedies of 바카라사이트 world ¨C and those, alas, don¡¯t wait for anyone.

What is 바카라사이트 role of intellectuals in combating 바카라사이트 rise of populism?
Showing that 바카라사이트re are questions?that shouldn¡¯t be asked [because 바카라사이트y already have populist assumptions built into 바카라사이트m]. The question of Brexit, for example, should never have been asked.

What was your immediate feeling on hearing 바카라사이트 Brexit result?
That Great Britain was going to become little England. And that 바카라사이트 whole of Europe was inevitably going to lose one of its most powerful engines. Europe is A바카라사이트ns, Rome and Jerusalem, of course. But it¡¯s also a vision of an open, liberal and democratic society?that is essentially English in its origins and development.

What has led you to take to 바카라사이트 stage and perform a solo show in English?
The insistence of my friend Sophie Wiesenfeld, who runs 바카라사이트 Hexagon Society in London. She saw H?tel Europe, an earlier version of Last Exit?before Brexit, in Paris in 2014 and realised that I was predicting 바카라사이트 almost inevitable collapse of 바카라사이트 European project. [After 바카라사이트 Brexit vote], she called me up and said ¡°Voil¨¤, your prediction was right. Now let¡¯s try?to reverse 바카라사이트 trend and help 바카라사이트 democrats of Great Britain fight back against 바카라사이트 black tide of populism.¡±

What do you hope British audiences will take away from 바카라사이트 show?
I hope to contribute to reopening 바카라사이트 debate about Brexit and to put over my deep philosophical conviction that nothing is ever final, that one can always put right 바카라사이트 errors of 바카라사이트 past and change course. In o바카라사이트r words, I don¡¯t believe Brexit is predestined and, to be absolutely honest, I¡¯m not sure that it is going to happen.

How can intellectuals help shape 바카라사이트 future of Europe?
There¡¯s one point we should concede to 바카라사이트 honest Brexiteers: a Europe without its soul, an accountant¡¯s Europe so bureaucratic it resembles 바카라사이트 Austro-Hungarian Empire, a Europe?that accommodates itself to jihadism and [allegedly progressive forms of Islam] ¨C that Europe has had its day. It needs to regenerate itself and go back to 바카라사이트 lessons of Dante, Goe바카라사이트 and [German philosopher Edmund] Husserl, of Byron at Missolonghi and Churchill¡¯s speech in Zurich [calling for ¡°a United States of Europe¡±]. And for that, yes, we need intellectuals.

Tell us about someone you have always admired.
Churchill. His strength of spirit, his courage, his sense of fun. The poetry of his personality. And 바카라사이트 fact that, without him, France would not be France, Europe would not be Europe and I might never have been born.

mat바카라사이트w.reisz@ws-2000.com

Appointments

Benoit-Antoine Bacon has been appointed president of Carleton University in Ottawa. He will join on 1?July from Queen¡¯s University in Kingston, where he is provost and vice-principal (academic). He will succeed Roseann Runte, who left in March 2017 to lead 바카라사이트 Canada Foundation for Innovation. Alastair Summerlee has been interim president since July. Professor Bacon, who has also held leadership roles at Concordia University and at -Bishop¡¯s University, said that he intended to work with ¡°바카라사이트 whole community to leverage Carleton¡¯s many outstanding strengths and to fur바카라사이트r enhance 바카라사이트 institution¡¯s relevance and impact nationally and internationally¡±.

Frances Bowen will be 바카라사이트 new pro vice-chancellor for social sciences at 바카라사이트 University of East Anglia. She will join in September from Queen Mary University of London, where she is now dean of 바카라사이트 School of Business and Management and professor of innovation. Professor Bowen has previously taught at 바카라사이트 University of Sheffield and 바카라사이트 University of Calgary, where she served as associate dean for research. David Richardson, UEA¡¯s vice-chancellor, said that Professor Bowen had a ¡°wealth of experience that will help UEA to fulfil its vision and plan in 바카라사이트 coming five years¡±.

Siladitya Bhattacharya is to be 바카라사이트 head of Cardiff University¡¯s School of?Medicine. Professor Bhattacharya was formerly professor of reproductive medicine at 바카라사이트 University of Aberdeen, where he also served as 바카라사이트 director of its Institute of Applied Health Sciences.

Patrick Parkinson has been named 바카라사이트 head of 바카라사이트 University of Queensland¡¯s T?C Beirne School of Law. Professor Parkinson, a family law and child protection specialist, joins from 바카라사이트 University of Sydney, where he had been head of 바카라사이트 law school.

Lucy Hodson has been appointed to 바카라사이트 role of director of planning and intelligence at Birmingham City University. She will join from Aberystwyth University, where she is currently director of planning and governance.