- DATE & TIME
Wednesday, Oct 21 2015, 4:30―6:30pm - Venue
Multipurpose Lecture Room(104), Okuma Memorial Tower(Bldg.#26),Waseda Campus - Speaker
Michel Winock (Professeur émérite des Universités à Sciences Po, Paris) - Language
French(consecutive interpretation)
１. Overview
Prof. Michel Winock is a highly-respected historian on modern French politics and well known author of numerous books including “Siècle des intellectuels” (Century of Intellectuals, 1997). His latest lecture in Waseda has firstly presented a vivid description on the political development from the era of French Revolution to the 5th Republic that contains the strained relationship between parliamentarism and French Empire – presidential system. It is characteristics of France that, in the political dynamics, intellectuals (especially “litterateur” or scholars of literature) has been taking important role in the society while prof. Winock has pointed out that the intellectual itself has been changing from “total” intellectuals (intellectuel “total”) to “specific” intellectuals (intellectuel “specifique”) after the time of Sartre and Foucault. Since the increasing gap between citizens, the holders of sovereignty, and the politicians and bureaucrats likely to lead to the crisis of democracy, he has emphasized the importance to revitalize citizens’ direct participation to the politics and “to re-create democracy”.
２. Significance
Waseda university hold the honorable occasion to host the seminar with prof. Winock, the Co-president of the “Mission for the future of institutions” (“Mission pour l’avenir des institutions”) in French National Assembly who has visited Japan in invitation of La Maison Franco-Japonaise. It is invaluable experience for the faculties and students to have learnt prof. Winock’ suggestive thought that opens up new possibilities of democracy.
３. Q and A session
Many interesting questions has activated the dialogue such as the difference in the way the parliament and the president conflict in France and the U.S., the potential flaw in public referendum as a tool of direct democracy, and the possibility to bring back the “total” intellectuals to contemporary era. Exciting lecture and conversation has resulted in huge delay and extension in original schedule but most of audience has stayed till the end of the seminar.
