French Literature Reviews - 2026

A. Bourreau, De vagues individus. La condition humaine dans la pensée scolastique
Philosophy, Anthropology and Ideas

Alain Bourreau, De vagues individus. La condition humaine dans la pensée scolastique

Paris, Les Belles Lettres, October 2008

ISBN 13 : 978-2-251-38093-3

33 euros

Publisher's overview:

Alain Boureau continues his exploration of medieval scholastic thought, demonstrating that it represents one of those rare historical moments when humanity—burdened by diverse and conflicting intellectual traditions (ancient, Jewish, Arabic, and Christian)—felt the urgent need for open, detailed, and unconstrained critical inquiry. How can the human being be singular, housing a spirit within a body? No previous line of questioning had been so radical until the advent of psychoanalysis.
The book takes as its starting point the chronicle of a central debate concerning the faculties of the inner man, which revolves around the theme of the powers of the soul—a concept rooted in a university curriculum heavily influenced by Aristotle (384–322 BC). It subsequently examines the question of the duality of the soul in John of La Rochelle, a Franciscan theologian who, in the 1230s, mapped out the fragmentation of man, highlighting the novelty introduced by the notion of the passions of the soul. This narrative sheds light on an essential aspect of medieval thought: the quest to substitute a double for the subject, and the alienation that ensues. On the side of the divine image, these doubles are the angel (a companion and potential successor to the human individual), woman (a double residing within the human species itself), and finally, the devil (the double par excellence).
Following La Religion de l'État (2006) and L'Empire du livre (2007), De vagues individus forms the third installment of La Raison scolastique.

Alain Bourreau situates his study within the broader landscape of medieval intellectual history, contributing to the series La Raison scolastique. The work examines how medieval thinkers navigated complex traditions—ancient, Jewish, Arabic, and Christian—to address the fundamental singularity of the human being. By focusing on university curricula shaped by Aristotelian philosophy and the theological inquiries of figures like John of La Rochelle, the book illuminates how medieval scholars conceptualized interiority, the fragmentation of the self, and the psychological dimensions of the human experience long before modern psychoanalytic frameworks emerged.

This volume will appeal to scholars, students, and readers interested in intellectual history, medieval philosophy, and the history of psychology. It offers valuable insights into how medieval thought addressed alienation and the creation of doubles—such as the angel, woman, and the devil—to comprehend the complexities of the human subject. By clarifying these theological and philosophical debates, Bourreau helps readers understand the sophisticated critical inquiry that defined scholasticism and its ongoing relevance to our understanding of the human condition.