About
Bernard-Henri Lévy, born in 1948 in Béni Saf, French Algeria, is a major figure in French intellectual life. Trained as a philosopher, he studied at the École Normale Supérieure under Jacques Derrida and Louis Althusser. In the 1970s, he co-founded the 'New Philosophers' movement, breaking with orthodox Marxism. His essay 'Barbarism with a Human Face' (1977) became a defining text. As a novelist, he won the Prix Médicis for 'The Devil in the Head' (1984) and the Prix Interallié for 'The Last Days of Charles Baudelaire' (1988). Committed to political engagement, he has covered numerous conflicts as a war correspondent and directed documentaries. He manages the 'Figures' collection at Grasset and publishes the review 'La Règle du jeu'.
* 1948-11-05
Major works
- La Barbarie à visage humain (1977)essay
- Le Testament de Dieu (1979)essay
- L'Idéologie française (1981)essay
- Le Diable en tête (1984)novel
- American Vertigo (2006)essay
Key milestones
- 1977Publication of 'Barbarism with a Human Face', a defining text of the New Philosophers.
- 1984Awarded the Prix Médicis for his novel 'The Devil in the Head'.
- 2002Appointed special envoy of French President Jacques Chirac to Afghanistan.
Themes
political engagementmoral philosophycritique of totalitarianismJudaism and identitywar and conflict
Sources: id.loc.gov · britannica.com