French Literature Reviews - 2026
The Expedient Method
Philosophy, Anthropology and Ideas
The Expedient Method,
Corinne Enaudeau, Patrice Loraux
éditions Kimé, "Collège en acte" series
26 euros, 266 pages
(ISBN: 2-84174-403-5 / Ean 13 : 978284174403)
Contents
Introduction by Corinne Enaudeau
I. LAW AND TRANSGRESSION
- Jean-Michel Salanskis: "Expedience and Legitimacy"
- Jean-Michel Rey: "The Expedient and Paper. Michelet and Melville"
- Marie-Christine Pouchelle: "Hospital Strategies of the Expedient. Turns and Detours"
- Corinne Enaudeau: "Expediting Destiny"
- Yan Thomas: "Mending Time in Law (Roman and Medieval)"
II. THEORY AND FICTION
- Patrice Bidou: "The Scepter of the Expedient: The Flute Ritual in an Amazonian Society"
- Françoise Coblence: "Dreams and Their Interpretation: An Expedient or the Royal Road?"
- Laurence Khan: "A Manner of Speaking"
- Pierre-Emmanuel Dauzat: "The Expedient in Translation: From 'Speaking in Tongues' to Deliberate Misunderstanding"
III. PARADOXES OF THE METHOD
- Bruno Karsenti: "Politics of the Expedient: On a Positivist Invention"
- Antonia Soulez: "The Philosopher as a Maker of Thought Devices" (Notes and Notations)
- Jean Maurel: "Expeditious Experience: The Art of Progress, Spur-of-the-Moment"
- Patrice Loraux: "An Improvisation Session"
- The Authors
Back Cover:
An exceptional procedure resorted to in an awkward situation, the expedient certainly possesses potential effectiveness, yet lacks theoretical substance. Incapable of self-justification and illegitimate in its principle, it nevertheless compensates for the shortcomings of regular procedures, demonstrating that practice is always more and other than what theory has decided. Corinne Enaudeau and Patrice Loraux have brought together representatives from various disciplines (mathematics, philosophy, psychoanalysis, law, sociology, anthropology, translation) to reflect on the theoretical status of the expedient, that Cinderella of rationality. Beyond the diversity of the fields involved, the exercise of any profession—including intellectual work—continually re-examines the rules of established methodology. The necessity to press on despite uncertainties leads to the use of improvised yet essential resources. Because it drives effective action, the expedient requires methodology to confront its primary adversary: the impasse created by unforeseen obstacles. The art of unexpectedly making up for practical shortfalls is this paradoxical "expedient method" explored by the texts gathered here.
About the Authors:
Corinne Enaudeau is a professor of philosophy in khâgne and Programme Director at the Collège international de philosophie.
Patrice Loraux is a philosopher (University of Paris I) and former Programme Director at the Collège international de philosophie.
(Source: Collège international de Philosophie)
The concept of the expedient—understood as an exceptional procedure resorted to in an awkward situation—occupies a curious space where practical effectiveness intersects with a lack of theoretical substance. Across the humanities and social sciences, the tension between established rules and the necessity of immediate action has long engaged scholars examining how practice frequently exceeds the boundaries set by formal theory. Published by éditions Kimé in the "Collège en acte" series, this volume brings together contributors from disciplines such as mathematics, philosophy, psychoanalysis, law, sociology, anthropology, and translation to reflect on the theoretical status of the expedient.
The collected texts explore the art of unexpectedly making up for practical shortfalls, addressing how professionals continually re-examine the rules of established methodology when forced to press on despite uncertainties. Because it drives effective action, the expedient requires methodology to confront the impasse created by unforeseen obstacles in various fields. Readers interested in interdisciplinary approaches to practical reason, methodological paradoxes, and the relation between thought and action may find this volume relevant.