Jean-François Lyotard

French philosopher, figure of postmodernism and post-structuralism (1924-1998)

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About

Jean-François Lyotard, born August 10, 1924 in Versailles and died April 21, 1998 in Paris, was a major French philosopher of the 20th century. After passing the agrégation in philosophy in 1950, he was active in the groups Socialisme ou Barbarie and Pouvoir Ouvrier, and took part in the events of May 1968. He taught at Paris X-Nanterre and then Paris VIII-Vincennes, and co-founded the Collège International de Philosophie with Jacques Derrida. His work, marked by postmodernism, questions the status of knowledge and the grand narratives of modernity. He is notably the author of The Postmodern Condition (1979) and The Differend (1983).

* 1924-08-10 — † 1998-04-21

Major works

  • Discours, figure (1971)philosophical essay
  • Économie libidinale (1974)philosophical essay
  • La Condition postmoderne : rapport sur le savoir (1979)philosophical essay
  • Le Différend (1983)philosophical essay
  • L'Inhumain (1988)philosophical essay

Key milestones

  • 1950Passes the agrégation in philosophy at the Sorbonne.
  • 1979Publishes The Postmodern Condition, commissioned by the government of Quebec, which defines postmodernity as incredulity toward metanarratives.
  • 1985Directs the exhibition 'Les Immatériaux' at the Centre Georges Pompidou.

Themes

postmodernitymetanarrativesdifferendknowledge and legitimationaesthetics and the sublime

Sources: plato.stanford.edu · britannica.com · pact.egs.edu