On Wednesday night at the Maison Français, Professor Frédéric Worms, Professor Souleymane Bachir Diagne, and Professor Clémence Boulouque discussed the merits of studying the humanities during times of crisis and how they can facilitate the humanity in us all. 

This past Wednesday evening, the Maison Français partnered with the Alliance Program to host a discussion between Professor Frédéric Worms, Professor Souleymane Bachir Diagne, and Professor Clémence Boulouque, mediated by the Director of the Alliance Program, Dr. Emmanuel Kattan. Each speaker highlighted the value of humanities in today’s world by discussing their respective research and addressing the nature of humanity in crisis. 

Professor Frédéric Worms teaches contemporary philosophy at the École Normale Supérieure in Paris, and his publications center around critical vitalism and the ethics of care. Professor Souleymane Bachir Diagne and Professor Clémence Boulouque both teach at Columbia. Professor Diagne teaches in the French and Philosophy departments with research focusing on the history of philosophy, Islamic philosophy, as well as African philosophy and literature, while Professor Boulouque is the Carl and Bernice Witten Associate Professor in Jewish and Israel studies with research centering around the philosophy of religion and Jewish thought and mysticism. 

Dr. Kattan first asked Professor Worms how we can use the tools of humanities to overcome violence. By using an analogy of the critical state–the point of imminent death–within medicine, he explained that humanities have emerged from crises in order to prevent crises. Though humanities are reduced as unimportant during a critical state, they produce universal principles that guide us during critical times. Not only that, but humanities themselves are experiencing a critical state, and we cannot afford to lose the self-knowledge that forms such as history or literature provide to inform our behavior in times of disarray. 

Dr. Kattan then questioned Professor Boulouque on how historians bring light to the truth during times of crisis. She first acknowledged that her current research centers around apocalypse and plague, and pointed out that students of the humanities often feel the need to defend their line of research. For her, crises such as the COVID-19 pandemic vindicate the necessity of the humanities, as everyone sought answers and comfort from historians and literature. Throughout her research, Professor Boulouque also asserts the necessity of historians as witnesses during crises; historians bring light to periods of chaos as they must speak for those who are unable. Humanities protect against the danger of forgetting the trials and lessons of critical times. 

Professor Diagne responded to Dr. Kattan’s next question, which centered on how discomfort can help us respond to challenges. Professor Diagne’s most recent work, From Language to Language: the Hospitality of Translation, revolves around the art of translation and how bilingualism can decenter oneself to give a greater perspective. For this book, instead of hiring a professional translator for the English version of the French original, he hired his student, simply because he loved the book. Professor Diagne defines translation as falling in love with a work and giving it hospitality through one’s native language. He champions bilingualism as it gives us a lens through which we can view our own language–something we would be unable to do otherwise. There is discomfort in translation, as true translation is never quite possible. Yet, it can give us insight and perspective to help us during challenges. 

Dr. Kattan’s last question was directed to all three panelists: “How can humanities teach us the virtues of doubt when we are so uncomfortable with uncertainty?” Each panelist first stressed the importance of uncertainty, with Professor Boulouque stating that “when certainty strikes, death follows.”

Professor Worms responded by explaining that today, people tend to either align themselves with strict certainty and dogma or suspect everything with no certainty. He claimed that we must use aspects of the self-knowledge that humanities create but still welcome the realm of uncertainty. This balance creates a space where we can critique ourselves; according to Professor Worms, doubt can facilitate internal growth. 

In her response, Professor Boulouque emphasized the necessity of uncertainty. As a religious scholar, she interacts with questions of uncertainty every day and finds it necessary to ask the questions we cannot answer. Professor Diagne concurred with her argument and added that an element of doubt is necessary for pluralism to thrive. To him, uncertainty brings a forum for discussion, as doubt ultimately facilitates diverse opinions. Professor Diagne concluded by warning that without this realm of doubt, the “public square” of discussion and argumentation is threatened, and this forum is necessary for connecting with and learning from one another. 

The study and products of the humanities will always help the world during times of crisis, providing a driving force of morality and understanding that helps to center our actions. They provide solace in the form of stories and histories of those who may have shared our tribulations. They provide a forum to discuss our differences and ways in which we can work to understand one another. The study of the humanities must continue to help guide our world in need.

Image via Bwog Archives