Books by Alexandre Lefebvre
Princeton University Press , 2024
Why liberalism is all you need to lead a good, fun, worthy, and rewarding life—and how you can be... more Why liberalism is all you need to lead a good, fun, worthy, and rewarding life—and how you can become a better and happier person by taking your liberal beliefs more seriously.
Where do you get your values and sensibilities from? If you grew up in a Western democracy, the answer is probably liberalism. Conservatives are right about one thing: liberalism is the ideology of our times, as omnipresent as religion once was. Yet, as Alexandre Lefebvre argues in Liberalism as a Way of Life, many of us are liberal without fully realizing it—or grasping what it means. Misled into thinking that liberalism is confined to politics, we fail to recognize that it’s the water we swim in, saturating every area of public and private life, shaping our psychological and spiritual outlooks, and influencing our moral and aesthetic values—our sense of what is right, wrong, good, bad, funny, worthwhile, and more. This eye-opening book shows how so many of us are liberal to the core, why liberalism provides the basis for a good life, and how we can make our lives better and happier by becoming more aware of, and more committed to, the beliefs we already hold.
A lively, engaging, and uplifting guide to living well, the liberal way, Liberalism as a Way of Life is filled with examples from television, movies, stand-up comedy, and social media—from Parks and Recreation and The Good Place to the Borat movies and Hannah Gadsby. Along the way, you’ll also learn about seventeen benefits of being a liberal—including generosity, humor, cheer, gratitude, tolerance, and peace of mind—and practical exercises to increase these rewards.
You’re probably already waist-deep in the waters of liberalism. Liberalism as a Way of Life invites you to dive in.
Duke University Press, 2018
When we think of human rights we assume that they are meant to protect people from serious social... more When we think of human rights we assume that they are meant to protect people from serious social, legal, and political abuses, and to advance global justice. In Human Rights and the Care of the Self, Alexandre Lefebvre turns this assumption on its head, showing how the value of human rights also lies in enabling ethical practices of self-transformation. Drawing on Foucault's notion of 'care of the self', Lefebvre turns to some of the most celebrated authors and activists in the history of human rights–such as Mary Wollstonecraft, Henri Bergson, Eleanor Roosevelt, and Charles Malik–to discover a vision of human rights as a tool for individuals to work on, improve, and transform themselves for their own sake. This new perspective allows us to appreciate a crucial dimension of human rights, one that can help us to care for ourselves in light of pressing social and psychological problems, such as loneliness, fear, hatred, patriarchy, meaninglessness, boredom, and indignity.
Endorsements:
“With an astute and powerful central argument, strong writing, a distinctive and compelling defense of human rights, and sharp insights into an impressive range of thinkers, Human Rights and the Care of the Self makes a provocative contribution to contemporary political thought and human rights scholarship.” — Ella Myers, author of, Worldly Ethics: Democratic Politics and Care for the World
“Alexandre Lefebvre is a unique voice in the humanities, one who takes up topics of enormous difficulty and does so with such tremendous erudition and fundamental insight that it is almost as if he is having a friendly discussion with the reader. Lefebvre claims that improving oneself rather than helping strangers is what the idea of human rights is all about and always has been—a claim that he pulls off with considerable brilliance. His reconstruction of human rights discourse in the 1940s is the truest that has ever been presented. Reading this remarkable book provided the most intellectually enjoyable hours that I can remember in a long time.” — Samuel Moyn, author of, Human Rights and the Uses of History
Stanford University Press, 2013
The work of Henri Bergson, the foremost French philosopher of the early twentieth century, is not... more The work of Henri Bergson, the foremost French philosopher of the early twentieth century, is not usually explored for its political dimensions. Indeed, Bergson is best known for his writings on time, evolution, and creativity. This book concentrates instead on his political philosophy—and especially on his late masterpiece, The Two Sources of Morality and Religion—from which Alexandre Lefebvre develops an original approach to human rights.
We tend to think of human rights as the urgent international project of protecting all people everywhere from harm. Bergson shows us that human rights can also serve as a medium of personal transformation and self-care. For Bergson, the main purpose of human rights is to initiate all human beings into love. Forging connections between human rights scholarship and philosophy as self-care, Lefebvre uses human rights to channel the whole of Bergson's philosophy.
Reviewed in The Australian, Canadian Society for Continental Philosophy, Choice, Contemporary Political Theory, Midwest Book Review, Notre Dame Philosophical Reviews, Political Studies Review, Political Theory, The Review of Politics.
Stanford University Press, 2008
The Image of Law is the first book to examine law through the thought of twentieth-century French... more The Image of Law is the first book to examine law through the thought of twentieth-century French philosopher Gilles Deleuze. Lefebvre challenges the truism that judges must apply and not create law. In a plain and lucid style, he activates Deleuze's key themes—his critique of dogmatic thought, theory of time, and concept of the encounter—within the context of adjudication in order to claim that judgment has an inherent, and not an accidental or willful, creativity. The book begins with a critique of the neo-Kantian tradition in legal theory (Hart, Dworkin, and Habermas) and proceeds to draw on Bergson's theory of perception and memory and Spinoza's conception of ethics in order to frame creativity as a necessary feature of judgment.
Reviewed in Canadian Society for Continental Philosophy, Continental Philosophy Review, Law and Literature, Law, Culture, and the Humanities, Theory and Event.
Gradiva, 2025
Porque é que o liberalismo é tudo o que precisa para ter uma vida boa, digna e gratificante? Como... more Porque é que o liberalismo é tudo o que precisa para ter uma vida boa, digna e gratificante? Como pode tornar-se uma pessoa melhor e mais feliz levando mais a sério as ideias liberais? De onde retira os valores pelos quais rege a sua vida?
Se cresceu numa democracia ocidental, a resposta é provavelmente: do liberalismo.
Os conservadores têm razão numa coisa: o liberalismo é a ideologia do nosso tempo, tão omnipresente como a religião já o foi. No entanto, como defende Alexandre Lefebvre em Viver como Um Liberal, muitos de nós somos liberais sem nos apercebermos totalmente disso ou sem compreendermos exactamente o que isso significa.
Embora pareça estar confinado à política, o liberalismo é “afinal” a água em que nadamos, sustentando todas as áreas da vida pública e privada, moldando as nossas perspectivas psicológicas e espirituais e influenciando os nossos valores morais e estéticos.
Este livro revelador mostra como muitos de nós somos liberais até ao âmago, porque é que o liberalismo fornece a base para uma vida boa e como podemos melhorar a nossa vida, tornando-nos mais conscientes e mais comprometidos com as suas ideias.
Viver como Um Liberal é um guia envolvente e edificante para viver bem de modo liberal, pleno de referências que vão desde o cinema,
à televisão passando pela stand-up comedy e pelas redes sociais.
Provavelmente já está mergulhado até à cintura nas águas do liberalismo.
Duesto, 2025
Por qué el liberalismo es todo lo que necesitas para tener una vida plena y feliz y cómo puedes c... more Por qué el liberalismo es todo lo que necesitas para tener una vida plena y feliz y cómo puedes convertirte en mejor persona si te tomas más en serio tus creencias liberales.
Una carta de amor a una forma de vida cada vez más cuestionada
Somos más liberales de lo que pensamos. En nuestras costumbres y valores aún pervive esa tradición que John Rawls definió como «un sistema equitativo de cooperación». Aunque lo ignoremos, el liberalismo está en la raíz de nuestras vidas y en el modo en que actuamos en sociedad y en la arena política. Pero ¿por cuánto tiempo?
Alexandre Lefebvre, profesor de Política y Filosofía, asume que los valores que han conformado Occidente están hoy amenazados: «Una masa crítica de ciudadanos de las democracias liberales ha dejado de creer en el liberalismo». Sin embargo, la liberal sigue siendo una buena idea, la mejor, y es necesario redescubrirla para poder defenderla.
Liberalismo como forma de vida es un puente hacia una visión del mundo abierta y digna, al alcance de todos. En este libro, Lefebvre define lo que entiende por liberalismo, identifica sus principios e ideales, señala de qué manera moldean nuestra autoconcepción, explica cómo podemos cultivar esos compromisos y sugiere por qué es una buena idea.
Porque la mejor garantía de una vida plena es volver a llenar de contenido la tradición que nos llevó a convertirnos en la sociedad más tolerante y pujante de la historia.
Editorial Biblos, 2022
Es extraordinario, por poco frecuente, que la filosofía se meta de lleno en la fundamentación de ... more Es extraordinario, por poco frecuente, que la filosofía se meta de lleno en la fundamentación de las grandes instituciones contemporáneas, y es menos habitual aún que lo haga para realizar una crítica constructiva que contenga indicaciones prácticas. El ensayo del filósofo australiano Alexandre Lefebvre destripa analíticamente la aparentemente intocable institución de los derechos humanos, para tratar de salvarla precisamente mediante una crítica radical. La clave hermenéutica es lo que aporta la originalidad y apertura de este trabajo: la filosofía política del último texto del viejo premio Nobel de 1927 Henri Bergson, Las dos fuentes de la moral y de la religión (1932), interpretada bajo la luz de la tradición del cuidado-de-sí releída a fines del siglo XX por Pierre Hadot y Michel Foucault poniendo el acento en el modo de vida que preside el título de la obra.
Bergson desarrolla el diagnóstico de los problemas morales y políticos mediante un análisis de la guerra como capacidad humana propia de las sociedades cerradas. En 1932, como hoy, la guerra en su modalidad moderna, altamente tecnificada, amenaza con destruir la especie. El contrapeso a la guerra no es su mera anulación. Esta posibilidad trasciende la capacidad humana, por lo que solo queda mitigarla. Y en ese propósito los derechos humanos como práctica cotidiana no como un concepto que funciona como ideal regulativo serán el camino a crear. Pero esta idea necesita ser argumentada y fundamentada para que no sea una fábula más, sino, como es el caso, una propuesta desde la filosofía del derecho, la teoría política y la antropología que abre un nuevo horizonte de reflexión que llama a la acción cotidiana como única salida para la supervivencia de la especie.
Chi Woo, 2012
『법-이미지』는 21세기 프랑스 철학자 질 들뢰즈의 사상을 통해 법을 검토하는 최초의 책이다. 저자는 판사들은 법을 적용해야만 하며 창조해서는 안 된다는 당연한 명제에 도전장... more 『법-이미지』는 21세기 프랑스 철학자 질 들뢰즈의 사상을 통해 법을 검토하는 최초의 책이다. 저자는 판사들은 법을 적용해야만 하며 창조해서는 안 된다는 당연한 명제에 도전장을 던진다. 분명하고 명쾌한 스타일로 들뢰즈의 핵심 주제, 즉 교조주의에 대한 비판, 시간에 대한 이론, 마주침의 개념을 판결의 맥락에서 다시 작동시킨다. 이는 판단이 우발적이거나 의도적으로가 아니라 내재적으로 창조성을 지니고 있다는 점을 주장하기 위해서다. 이 책은 법 이론에서의 신칸트주의(하트, 드워킨, 하버마스) 전통에 대한 비판으로 시작한다. 그리고 창조성을 판단의 필연적 특징으로 표현하기 위해서 지각과 기억에 대한 베르그송의 이론과 윤리학에 대한 스피노자의 개념을 끌어오는 단계로 나아간다.
Bloomsbury, 2024
Description
For 15 years, Henri Bergson, the most important French philosopher of the early 20th... more Description
For 15 years, Henri Bergson, the most important French philosopher of the early 20th-century, taught at the Collège de France. Speaking without notes, most of his classes are now lost to history, but records of a handful of courses fortuitously survived thanks to stenographic transcripts. Conveying Bergson's very voice, these extraordinary documents are finally presented here in English.
The 1904–1905 lectures are dedicated to the topic of freedom, or as Bergson put it, “the evolution of the problem of freedom.” Building on the philosophy of freedom from his first book, Time and Free Will, he proposes that freedom is not only a fundamental human experience but characteristic of all life as such. By retracing how ancient and modern philosophers have dealt with the delicate question of freedom, Bergson demonstrates the necessity, and also the radically new character, of his own theory of freedom.
Bergson's lectures are a feast for many audiences. For philosophers, they give a fuller picture of his thought and contain deep reflections on many core topics in philosophy today, from the nature of time to the difference between brain and mind, the relation between memory and perception, and the vindication of freedom over determinism. For intellectual historians, the lectures are a treasure trove: as a slice of the living thought of a great thinker; as an extended analysis of the natural and human sciences of his day; and as a rich commentary on the history of ancient and modern philosophy. Finally, for cultural historians and literary scholars, the lectures were the cultural capital of Belle Époque France, consumed by elites and a vast educated public. They are also part of an exceedingly rare genre in modern philosophy: spoken, not written, lectures and expressed as a veritable stream of philosophical consciousness that is remarkably structured and analytically lucid.
Stanford University Press, 2020
The Subject of Human Rights is the first book to systematically address the "human" part of "huma... more The Subject of Human Rights is the first book to systematically address the "human" part of "human rights." Drawing on the finest thinking in political theory, cultural studies, history, law, anthropology, and literary studies, this volume examines how human rights -as discourse, law, and practice-shape how we understand humanity and human beings. It asks how the humanness that the human rights idea seeks to protect and promote is experienced.
Cambridge University Press, 2020
Bergson was a pre-eminent European philosopher of the early twentieth century and his work covers... more Bergson was a pre-eminent European philosopher of the early twentieth century and his work covers all major branches of philosophy. This volume of essays is the first collection in twenty years in English to address the whole of Bergson's philosophy, including his metaphysics, epistemology, philosophy of science, philosophy of life, aesthetics, ethics, social and political thought, and religion. The essays explore Bergson's influence on a number of different fields, and also extend his thought to pressing issues of our time, including philosophy as a way of life, inclusion and exclusion in politics, ecology, the philosophy of race and discrimination, and religion and its enduring appeal. The volume will be valuable for all who are interested in this important thinker and his continuing relevance.
Duke University Press, 2015
Appearing here in English for the first time, Vladimir Jankélévitch's Henri Bergson is one of the... more Appearing here in English for the first time, Vladimir Jankélévitch's Henri Bergson is one of the two great commentaries written on Henri Bergson. Gilles Deleuze's Bergsonism renewed interest in the great French philosopher but failed to consider Bergson's experiential and religious perspectives. Here Jankélévitch covers all aspects of Bergson's thought, emphasizing the concepts of time and duration, memory, evolution, simplicity, love, and joy. A friend of Bergson's, Jankélévitch first published this book in 1931 and revised it in 1959 to treat Bergson's later works. This unabridged translation of the 1959 edition includes an editor's introduction, which contextualizes and outlines Jankélévitch's reading of Bergson, additional essays on Bergson by Jankélévitch, and Bergson's letters to Jankélévitch.
Reviewed in H-Net Reviews, Notre Dame Philosophical Reviews.
Duke University Press, 2012
Henri Bergson is primarily known for his work on time, memory, and creativity. His equally innova... more Henri Bergson is primarily known for his work on time, memory, and creativity. His equally innovative interventions into politics and religion have, however, been neglected or dismissed until now. In the first book in English dedicated to Bergson as a political thinker, leading Bergson scholars illuminate his positions on core concerns within political philosophy: the significance of emotion in moral judgment, the relationship between biology and society, and the entanglement of politics and religion. Ranging across Bergson's writings but drawing mainly on his last book, The Two Sources of Morality and Religion, the contributors consider Bergson's relevance to contemporary discussions of human rights, democratic pluralism, and environmental ethics.
Contributors. Keith Ansell-Pearson, G. William Barnard, Claire Colebrook, Hisashi Fujita, Suzanne Guerlac, Vladimir Jankélévitch, Frédéric Keck, Leonard Lawlor, Alexandre Lefebvre, Paola Marrati, John Mullarkey, Paulina Ochoa Espejo, Carl Power, Philippe Soulez, Jim Urpeth, Melanie White, Frédéric Worms
Reviewed in Choice, Foro Interno, French Studies, H-France Review, Notre Dame Philosophical Reviews, Political Studies Review, Symploke.
Papers by Alexandre Lefebvre
Noema Magazine, 2025
Illiberal regimes around the world are increasingly practicing “soulcraft,” using state power to ... more Illiberal regimes around the world are increasingly practicing “soulcraft,” using state power to shape citizens’ values and ways of life. While liberal democracy portrays itself as value-neutral, critics argue that it, too, implicitly molds its subjects. This piece engages rivals’ moral visions directly, urging liberals to understand rather than dismiss them.
The Philosopher, 2024
A conversation with Alexandre Lefebvre and Nils. F. Schott on our recent edited volume of Henri B... more A conversation with Alexandre Lefebvre and Nils. F. Schott on our recent edited volume of Henri Bergson's lectures at the College de France.
Notes from the Middleground, 2024
An interview with political theorist Alexandre Lefebvre, whose new book offers a comprehensive, s... more An interview with political theorist Alexandre Lefebvre, whose new book offers a comprehensive, spiritual defense of liberalism against its enemies and opponents
Research Handbook on Liberalism, 2024
In this chapter, I distinguish three and map them onto three historical periods. The first is the... more In this chapter, I distinguish three and map them onto three historical periods. The first is the perfectionist self of the long nineteenth century, when the founders of liberalism argued that a liberal state should seek to produce liberal citizens, understood as free and generous persons. The second is the political self of the mid-to-late twentieth century, when liberalism withdrew its perfectionist ambitions and positioned itself as an institutional framework for citizens to pursue their own conception of the good (within reasonable limits). The third is the comprehensive self of the early twenty-first century, which blends the previous two conceptions.
European Journal of Political Theory, 2024
John Rawls was what we might call a "frenemy" to Stanley Cavell. Time and again, Cavell states hi... more John Rawls was what we might call a "frenemy" to Stanley Cavell. Time and again, Cavell states his admiration for Rawls's political philosophy but criticizes it for two reasons. First, he believes that Rawls too hastily dismisses a perfectionist tradition that is essential for a flourishing liberal democracy. Second, he attacks certain aspects of Rawls's theory of justice as moralistic and legalistic. The first half of this article examines Cavell's critique of Rawls and argues that the two authors are more closely aligned than suspected. It begins by reconstructing Cavell's critique of Rawls, and using archival materials from Harvard University, presents for the first time Rawls's interpretation of this critique. The second half of the article highlights perfectionist themes in Rawls's A Theory of Justice. The contribution of this article is to reevaluate the relationship between two of the most important moral philosophers of the twentieth century and also to provide a more expansive theory of liberalism that incorporates the psychological depth, moral subtlety and political hopefulness of moral perfectionism.
Journal of Social and Political Philosophy, 2022
Contemporary political philosophers are often uncomfortable with the notion that a conception of ... more Contemporary political philosophers are often uncomfortable with the notion that a conception of the good life can be developed out of liberalism. Liberalism, they say, should remain neutral out of respect for pluralism. Early liberals of the nineteenth century, however, understood their project as a vindication of the good life, along with a diagnosis of what threatens it. This article attempts to build a conception of the good life from liberal values and sensibilities, yet not run afoul of the need to respect pluralism. It draws on early and contemporary liberals, as well as popular culture, to sketch a way of life that is fulfilling and available for us today.
The Bergsonian Mind, 2022
This chapter provides an overview of Henri Bergson's concept of closed and open societies, from h... more This chapter provides an overview of Henri Bergson's concept of closed and open societies, from his The Two Sources of Morality and Religion (1932).
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Books by Alexandre Lefebvre
Where do you get your values and sensibilities from? If you grew up in a Western democracy, the answer is probably liberalism. Conservatives are right about one thing: liberalism is the ideology of our times, as omnipresent as religion once was. Yet, as Alexandre Lefebvre argues in Liberalism as a Way of Life, many of us are liberal without fully realizing it—or grasping what it means. Misled into thinking that liberalism is confined to politics, we fail to recognize that it’s the water we swim in, saturating every area of public and private life, shaping our psychological and spiritual outlooks, and influencing our moral and aesthetic values—our sense of what is right, wrong, good, bad, funny, worthwhile, and more. This eye-opening book shows how so many of us are liberal to the core, why liberalism provides the basis for a good life, and how we can make our lives better and happier by becoming more aware of, and more committed to, the beliefs we already hold.
A lively, engaging, and uplifting guide to living well, the liberal way, Liberalism as a Way of Life is filled with examples from television, movies, stand-up comedy, and social media—from Parks and Recreation and The Good Place to the Borat movies and Hannah Gadsby. Along the way, you’ll also learn about seventeen benefits of being a liberal—including generosity, humor, cheer, gratitude, tolerance, and peace of mind—and practical exercises to increase these rewards.
You’re probably already waist-deep in the waters of liberalism. Liberalism as a Way of Life invites you to dive in.
Endorsements:
“With an astute and powerful central argument, strong writing, a distinctive and compelling defense of human rights, and sharp insights into an impressive range of thinkers, Human Rights and the Care of the Self makes a provocative contribution to contemporary political thought and human rights scholarship.” — Ella Myers, author of, Worldly Ethics: Democratic Politics and Care for the World
“Alexandre Lefebvre is a unique voice in the humanities, one who takes up topics of enormous difficulty and does so with such tremendous erudition and fundamental insight that it is almost as if he is having a friendly discussion with the reader. Lefebvre claims that improving oneself rather than helping strangers is what the idea of human rights is all about and always has been—a claim that he pulls off with considerable brilliance. His reconstruction of human rights discourse in the 1940s is the truest that has ever been presented. Reading this remarkable book provided the most intellectually enjoyable hours that I can remember in a long time.” — Samuel Moyn, author of, Human Rights and the Uses of History
We tend to think of human rights as the urgent international project of protecting all people everywhere from harm. Bergson shows us that human rights can also serve as a medium of personal transformation and self-care. For Bergson, the main purpose of human rights is to initiate all human beings into love. Forging connections between human rights scholarship and philosophy as self-care, Lefebvre uses human rights to channel the whole of Bergson's philosophy.
Reviewed in The Australian, Canadian Society for Continental Philosophy, Choice, Contemporary Political Theory, Midwest Book Review, Notre Dame Philosophical Reviews, Political Studies Review, Political Theory, The Review of Politics.
Reviewed in Canadian Society for Continental Philosophy, Continental Philosophy Review, Law and Literature, Law, Culture, and the Humanities, Theory and Event.
Se cresceu numa democracia ocidental, a resposta é provavelmente: do liberalismo.
Os conservadores têm razão numa coisa: o liberalismo é a ideologia do nosso tempo, tão omnipresente como a religião já o foi. No entanto, como defende Alexandre Lefebvre em Viver como Um Liberal, muitos de nós somos liberais sem nos apercebermos totalmente disso ou sem compreendermos exactamente o que isso significa.
Embora pareça estar confinado à política, o liberalismo é “afinal” a água em que nadamos, sustentando todas as áreas da vida pública e privada, moldando as nossas perspectivas psicológicas e espirituais e influenciando os nossos valores morais e estéticos.
Este livro revelador mostra como muitos de nós somos liberais até ao âmago, porque é que o liberalismo fornece a base para uma vida boa e como podemos melhorar a nossa vida, tornando-nos mais conscientes e mais comprometidos com as suas ideias.
Viver como Um Liberal é um guia envolvente e edificante para viver bem de modo liberal, pleno de referências que vão desde o cinema,
à televisão passando pela stand-up comedy e pelas redes sociais.
Provavelmente já está mergulhado até à cintura nas águas do liberalismo.
Una carta de amor a una forma de vida cada vez más cuestionada
Somos más liberales de lo que pensamos. En nuestras costumbres y valores aún pervive esa tradición que John Rawls definió como «un sistema equitativo de cooperación». Aunque lo ignoremos, el liberalismo está en la raíz de nuestras vidas y en el modo en que actuamos en sociedad y en la arena política. Pero ¿por cuánto tiempo?
Alexandre Lefebvre, profesor de Política y Filosofía, asume que los valores que han conformado Occidente están hoy amenazados: «Una masa crítica de ciudadanos de las democracias liberales ha dejado de creer en el liberalismo». Sin embargo, la liberal sigue siendo una buena idea, la mejor, y es necesario redescubrirla para poder defenderla.
Liberalismo como forma de vida es un puente hacia una visión del mundo abierta y digna, al alcance de todos. En este libro, Lefebvre define lo que entiende por liberalismo, identifica sus principios e ideales, señala de qué manera moldean nuestra autoconcepción, explica cómo podemos cultivar esos compromisos y sugiere por qué es una buena idea.
Porque la mejor garantía de una vida plena es volver a llenar de contenido la tradición que nos llevó a convertirnos en la sociedad más tolerante y pujante de la historia.
Bergson desarrolla el diagnóstico de los problemas morales y políticos mediante un análisis de la guerra como capacidad humana propia de las sociedades cerradas. En 1932, como hoy, la guerra en su modalidad moderna, altamente tecnificada, amenaza con destruir la especie. El contrapeso a la guerra no es su mera anulación. Esta posibilidad trasciende la capacidad humana, por lo que solo queda mitigarla. Y en ese propósito los derechos humanos como práctica cotidiana no como un concepto que funciona como ideal regulativo serán el camino a crear. Pero esta idea necesita ser argumentada y fundamentada para que no sea una fábula más, sino, como es el caso, una propuesta desde la filosofía del derecho, la teoría política y la antropología que abre un nuevo horizonte de reflexión que llama a la acción cotidiana como única salida para la supervivencia de la especie.
For 15 years, Henri Bergson, the most important French philosopher of the early 20th-century, taught at the Collège de France. Speaking without notes, most of his classes are now lost to history, but records of a handful of courses fortuitously survived thanks to stenographic transcripts. Conveying Bergson's very voice, these extraordinary documents are finally presented here in English.
The 1904–1905 lectures are dedicated to the topic of freedom, or as Bergson put it, “the evolution of the problem of freedom.” Building on the philosophy of freedom from his first book, Time and Free Will, he proposes that freedom is not only a fundamental human experience but characteristic of all life as such. By retracing how ancient and modern philosophers have dealt with the delicate question of freedom, Bergson demonstrates the necessity, and also the radically new character, of his own theory of freedom.
Bergson's lectures are a feast for many audiences. For philosophers, they give a fuller picture of his thought and contain deep reflections on many core topics in philosophy today, from the nature of time to the difference between brain and mind, the relation between memory and perception, and the vindication of freedom over determinism. For intellectual historians, the lectures are a treasure trove: as a slice of the living thought of a great thinker; as an extended analysis of the natural and human sciences of his day; and as a rich commentary on the history of ancient and modern philosophy. Finally, for cultural historians and literary scholars, the lectures were the cultural capital of Belle Époque France, consumed by elites and a vast educated public. They are also part of an exceedingly rare genre in modern philosophy: spoken, not written, lectures and expressed as a veritable stream of philosophical consciousness that is remarkably structured and analytically lucid.
Reviewed in H-Net Reviews, Notre Dame Philosophical Reviews.
Contributors. Keith Ansell-Pearson, G. William Barnard, Claire Colebrook, Hisashi Fujita, Suzanne Guerlac, Vladimir Jankélévitch, Frédéric Keck, Leonard Lawlor, Alexandre Lefebvre, Paola Marrati, John Mullarkey, Paulina Ochoa Espejo, Carl Power, Philippe Soulez, Jim Urpeth, Melanie White, Frédéric Worms
Reviewed in Choice, Foro Interno, French Studies, H-France Review, Notre Dame Philosophical Reviews, Political Studies Review, Symploke.
Papers by Alexandre Lefebvre
Where do you get your values and sensibilities from? If you grew up in a Western democracy, the answer is probably liberalism. Conservatives are right about one thing: liberalism is the ideology of our times, as omnipresent as religion once was. Yet, as Alexandre Lefebvre argues in Liberalism as a Way of Life, many of us are liberal without fully realizing it—or grasping what it means. Misled into thinking that liberalism is confined to politics, we fail to recognize that it’s the water we swim in, saturating every area of public and private life, shaping our psychological and spiritual outlooks, and influencing our moral and aesthetic values—our sense of what is right, wrong, good, bad, funny, worthwhile, and more. This eye-opening book shows how so many of us are liberal to the core, why liberalism provides the basis for a good life, and how we can make our lives better and happier by becoming more aware of, and more committed to, the beliefs we already hold.
A lively, engaging, and uplifting guide to living well, the liberal way, Liberalism as a Way of Life is filled with examples from television, movies, stand-up comedy, and social media—from Parks and Recreation and The Good Place to the Borat movies and Hannah Gadsby. Along the way, you’ll also learn about seventeen benefits of being a liberal—including generosity, humor, cheer, gratitude, tolerance, and peace of mind—and practical exercises to increase these rewards.
You’re probably already waist-deep in the waters of liberalism. Liberalism as a Way of Life invites you to dive in.
Endorsements:
“With an astute and powerful central argument, strong writing, a distinctive and compelling defense of human rights, and sharp insights into an impressive range of thinkers, Human Rights and the Care of the Self makes a provocative contribution to contemporary political thought and human rights scholarship.” — Ella Myers, author of, Worldly Ethics: Democratic Politics and Care for the World
“Alexandre Lefebvre is a unique voice in the humanities, one who takes up topics of enormous difficulty and does so with such tremendous erudition and fundamental insight that it is almost as if he is having a friendly discussion with the reader. Lefebvre claims that improving oneself rather than helping strangers is what the idea of human rights is all about and always has been—a claim that he pulls off with considerable brilliance. His reconstruction of human rights discourse in the 1940s is the truest that has ever been presented. Reading this remarkable book provided the most intellectually enjoyable hours that I can remember in a long time.” — Samuel Moyn, author of, Human Rights and the Uses of History
We tend to think of human rights as the urgent international project of protecting all people everywhere from harm. Bergson shows us that human rights can also serve as a medium of personal transformation and self-care. For Bergson, the main purpose of human rights is to initiate all human beings into love. Forging connections between human rights scholarship and philosophy as self-care, Lefebvre uses human rights to channel the whole of Bergson's philosophy.
Reviewed in The Australian, Canadian Society for Continental Philosophy, Choice, Contemporary Political Theory, Midwest Book Review, Notre Dame Philosophical Reviews, Political Studies Review, Political Theory, The Review of Politics.
Reviewed in Canadian Society for Continental Philosophy, Continental Philosophy Review, Law and Literature, Law, Culture, and the Humanities, Theory and Event.
Se cresceu numa democracia ocidental, a resposta é provavelmente: do liberalismo.
Os conservadores têm razão numa coisa: o liberalismo é a ideologia do nosso tempo, tão omnipresente como a religião já o foi. No entanto, como defende Alexandre Lefebvre em Viver como Um Liberal, muitos de nós somos liberais sem nos apercebermos totalmente disso ou sem compreendermos exactamente o que isso significa.
Embora pareça estar confinado à política, o liberalismo é “afinal” a água em que nadamos, sustentando todas as áreas da vida pública e privada, moldando as nossas perspectivas psicológicas e espirituais e influenciando os nossos valores morais e estéticos.
Este livro revelador mostra como muitos de nós somos liberais até ao âmago, porque é que o liberalismo fornece a base para uma vida boa e como podemos melhorar a nossa vida, tornando-nos mais conscientes e mais comprometidos com as suas ideias.
Viver como Um Liberal é um guia envolvente e edificante para viver bem de modo liberal, pleno de referências que vão desde o cinema,
à televisão passando pela stand-up comedy e pelas redes sociais.
Provavelmente já está mergulhado até à cintura nas águas do liberalismo.
Una carta de amor a una forma de vida cada vez más cuestionada
Somos más liberales de lo que pensamos. En nuestras costumbres y valores aún pervive esa tradición que John Rawls definió como «un sistema equitativo de cooperación». Aunque lo ignoremos, el liberalismo está en la raíz de nuestras vidas y en el modo en que actuamos en sociedad y en la arena política. Pero ¿por cuánto tiempo?
Alexandre Lefebvre, profesor de Política y Filosofía, asume que los valores que han conformado Occidente están hoy amenazados: «Una masa crítica de ciudadanos de las democracias liberales ha dejado de creer en el liberalismo». Sin embargo, la liberal sigue siendo una buena idea, la mejor, y es necesario redescubrirla para poder defenderla.
Liberalismo como forma de vida es un puente hacia una visión del mundo abierta y digna, al alcance de todos. En este libro, Lefebvre define lo que entiende por liberalismo, identifica sus principios e ideales, señala de qué manera moldean nuestra autoconcepción, explica cómo podemos cultivar esos compromisos y sugiere por qué es una buena idea.
Porque la mejor garantía de una vida plena es volver a llenar de contenido la tradición que nos llevó a convertirnos en la sociedad más tolerante y pujante de la historia.
Bergson desarrolla el diagnóstico de los problemas morales y políticos mediante un análisis de la guerra como capacidad humana propia de las sociedades cerradas. En 1932, como hoy, la guerra en su modalidad moderna, altamente tecnificada, amenaza con destruir la especie. El contrapeso a la guerra no es su mera anulación. Esta posibilidad trasciende la capacidad humana, por lo que solo queda mitigarla. Y en ese propósito los derechos humanos como práctica cotidiana no como un concepto que funciona como ideal regulativo serán el camino a crear. Pero esta idea necesita ser argumentada y fundamentada para que no sea una fábula más, sino, como es el caso, una propuesta desde la filosofía del derecho, la teoría política y la antropología que abre un nuevo horizonte de reflexión que llama a la acción cotidiana como única salida para la supervivencia de la especie.
For 15 years, Henri Bergson, the most important French philosopher of the early 20th-century, taught at the Collège de France. Speaking without notes, most of his classes are now lost to history, but records of a handful of courses fortuitously survived thanks to stenographic transcripts. Conveying Bergson's very voice, these extraordinary documents are finally presented here in English.
The 1904–1905 lectures are dedicated to the topic of freedom, or as Bergson put it, “the evolution of the problem of freedom.” Building on the philosophy of freedom from his first book, Time and Free Will, he proposes that freedom is not only a fundamental human experience but characteristic of all life as such. By retracing how ancient and modern philosophers have dealt with the delicate question of freedom, Bergson demonstrates the necessity, and also the radically new character, of his own theory of freedom.
Bergson's lectures are a feast for many audiences. For philosophers, they give a fuller picture of his thought and contain deep reflections on many core topics in philosophy today, from the nature of time to the difference between brain and mind, the relation between memory and perception, and the vindication of freedom over determinism. For intellectual historians, the lectures are a treasure trove: as a slice of the living thought of a great thinker; as an extended analysis of the natural and human sciences of his day; and as a rich commentary on the history of ancient and modern philosophy. Finally, for cultural historians and literary scholars, the lectures were the cultural capital of Belle Époque France, consumed by elites and a vast educated public. They are also part of an exceedingly rare genre in modern philosophy: spoken, not written, lectures and expressed as a veritable stream of philosophical consciousness that is remarkably structured and analytically lucid.
Reviewed in H-Net Reviews, Notre Dame Philosophical Reviews.
Contributors. Keith Ansell-Pearson, G. William Barnard, Claire Colebrook, Hisashi Fujita, Suzanne Guerlac, Vladimir Jankélévitch, Frédéric Keck, Leonard Lawlor, Alexandre Lefebvre, Paola Marrati, John Mullarkey, Paulina Ochoa Espejo, Carl Power, Philippe Soulez, Jim Urpeth, Melanie White, Frédéric Worms
Reviewed in Choice, Foro Interno, French Studies, H-France Review, Notre Dame Philosophical Reviews, Political Studies Review, Symploke.
Book blurb: The Subject of Human Rights is the first book to systematically address the "human" part of "human rights." Drawing on the finest thinking in political theory, cultural studies, history, law, anthropology, and literary studies, this volume examines how human rights—as discourse, law, and practice—shape how we understand humanity and human beings. It asks how the humanness that the human rights idea seeks to protect and promote is experienced.