Lecture and signing by Prof. Michaël Lucken: L'universel et l'étranger - Une histoire pour les Langues O' (The universal and the foreign - A history for Languages O')

Michael Lucken, historian specializing in contemporary Japan and professor at the Institut national des langues et civilisations orientales (Inalco, Paris), will host this conference. He is the author of numerous books, including 1945-Hiroshima: les images-sources (Hermann, 2008), Les Japonais et la guerre, 1937-1952 (Fayard, 2013),Le Japon grec. Culture et possession (Gallimard, 2019) and L'universel étranger (éditions Amsterdam, 2022). His vast expertise in the field of history and his in-depth knowledge of contemporary Japan make him a key player in exploring the issues involved in areal studies and the relationship of power in knowledge of the other.

Why can we study Japan in particular, but not the foreigner in general? This question finds its answer primarily in the largely monolingual and self-centered conception of the universal. This conception, which ignores or denies the need to take into account the necessarily situated character of the study of foreign realities, tends to reproduce the logics of domination that structure our world.

This situation creates a harmful face-off between those who apprehend reality solely through the prism of their local interests and those who consider themselves universalists, asserting the non-existence of borders. As a result, there is mutual ignorance between these two groups, reinforcing barriers and misunderstandings.

To remedy this reality, Michael Lucken offers, in his book, an in-depth and committed reflection on xenology. He outlines the historical milestones of this discipline and highlights its various functions: predation, criticism, generalization and, ultimately, the transformation of individuals and societies. In this book, the author outlines the contours of a renewed anthropology, more attentive to the variability of collective imaginaries. He demonstrates that it is only when individuals have an intimate experience of divergent viewpoints on the world that they will cease to considerthe universal as foreign.

Thus, the author invites us to break with this state of affairs by fostering a deep and respectful understanding of cultural differences, thus enabling the emergence of a fruitful dialogue and an enriching mutual knowledge.

Practical information

The conference will be followed by asigning session and a cocktail.
It will be held onThursday, October 19, 2023 at 6:00 pmat the Pôle des Langues et Civilisations in the auditorium at 65 rue des Grand Moulins (Paris, 75013). The conference will also be recorded and available as a replay for those unable to attend.

Entrance is by registration, subject to availability.

Edited by: Cécile Leblond / Fondation Inalco