French Literature Reviews - 2026

A. Sager, Homme sans Dieu ? - De Cicéron à Marc Aurèle
Philosophy, Anthropology and Ideas

Alain Sager, Homme sans Dieu ? - De Cicéron à Marc Aurèle

Paris : L'Harmattan, coll. "Ouverture philosophique", 2013.

162 p.

EAN 9782343020136 (EAN Ebook format Pdf : 9782336328522)

16,50 EUR (digital version : 12,38 EUR)

Publisher's description:

"With the gods no longer existing and Christ not yet having come, there was, from Cicero to Marcus Aurelius, a unique moment when man stood alone" (Flaubert). Could man have lived "without God" during a defining era of the Roman Empire? Reflecting on these questions offers an opportunity to reconsider our view of the Roman world. Was the advent of Christianity inevitable within the evolution of a supposedly decadent society?

Alain Sager is a philosopher and member of the Voltaire Society.

In this thoughtful study published by L'Harmattan in the Ouverture philosophique series, philosopher and Voltaire Society member Alain Sager examines the intellectual and spiritual climate of the Roman Empire between the eras of Cicero and Marcus Aurelius. Taking inspiration from Flaubert's observation about an interim epoch when traditional gods had faded and Christianity had not yet arrived, the author investigates how ancient thinkers navigated existence without divine certainty. This work invites readers to rethink conventional historical narratives about the inevitability of Christian triumph amid a supposedly decadent society.

The book will particularly appeal to students and scholars of ancient philosophy, classical history, and the history of ideas who wish to deepen their understanding of Roman secular thought and spirituality. By questioning the linear progression from pagan polytheism to Christian monotheism, Sager sheds light on the autonomy of classical ethics and humanism. It serves as a valuable resource for anyone exploring the intersection of philosophy and religion during a transformative period of antiquity, offering fresh perspectives on how ancient intellectuals confronted the fundamental questions of human existence.