French Literature Reviews - 2026
Thierry Hoquet, A (De)Colonial History of French Philosophy
Philosophy, Anthropology and Ideas
Was there a single French philosopher who protested against the conquest of Algiers in 1830? Philosophy courses generally do not tell us of any. This is precisely the void filled by this new history of French philosophy, which is not presented as a sum of abstract problems or the mere Hexagonal or Francophone embodiment of a perennial philosophy. Instead, it emerges from encounters with other peoples across various colonial enterprises, as the borders and contours of France shifted: “New France”, “Antarctic” or “Equinoctial France”, “Greater France”. Thus, French philosophy does not originate with Descartes' cogito, but rather in an exemplary scene in 1562, when Montaigne met three Tupinamba people from Brazil in Rouen, an encounter he chronicled in his essay “Of Cannibals”. The perspective of others on French society, as expressed in philosophical writings, fundamentally transforms our outlook and opens new pathways for critical thought.
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Thierry Hoquet is a philosopher. Following extensive research on natural history in the Enlightenment, his work has focused on issues of sex and race at the intersection of biology and society, from Darwin to the present day. He is the author of Le Nouvel Esprit biologique (Puf, 2022).
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Histories of European thought frequently present philosophical traditions as internal developments originating from canonical figures like Descartes, largely bypassing the geopolitical encounters that accompanied territorial expansion. By examining episodes such as Montaigne's dialogue with the Tupinamba people in Rouen in 1562, this study situates the emergence of French philosophical reflection within the broader contexts of exploration and shifting national borders, filling a void left by standard philosophy courses that rarely address whether philosophers protested against the conquest of Algiers or other colonial enterprises.
Readers interested in the intersections of philosophy, history, and colonial studies may find it relevant. Thierry Hoquet is a philosopher whose work has focused on issues of sex and race at the intersection of biology and society, following extensive research on natural history in the Enlightenment. The book explores how French philosophy emerges from encounters with other peoples across various colonial enterprises as the borders and contours of France shifted over time.