Edgar Morin facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Edgar Morin
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| Born |
Edgar Nahoum
8 July 1921 Paris, France
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| Alma mater | University of Paris |
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Notable work
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La méthode (1977–2004, 6 vols.) |
| Spouse(s) |
Violette Chapellaubeau
(m. 1945) |
| School | Continental philosophy Antireductionism Constructivist epistemology Anti-foundationalism |
| Institutions | CNRS, École des hautes études en sciences sociales (EHESS) |
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Main interests
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Epistemology Complexity theory Sociology |
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Notable ideas
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Complex thought Chaosmos Criticism of structuralism Criticism of Ludwig von Bertalanffy's systems theory autos (auto-(geno-pheno)-eco-re-organization) |
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Influences
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Edgar Morin (born 8 July 1921) is a famous French thinker and writer. He is known for his ideas on "complexity" and "complex thought." This means he studies how different parts of the world are connected and how things are often more complicated than they seem.
Morin has written over 60 books. His work covers many topics like how we get information (media studies), how societies work (sociology), and even how nature works (ecology). He also studies education and how living things are organized (systems biology).
He studied history, geography, and law, but he never got a Ph.D. Even so, he became a very important thinker in France, Europe, and Latin America. He spent most of his academic life at a famous school in Paris called the École des hautes études en sciences sociales (EHESS).
Contents
Edgar Morin's Life Story
Edgar Morin's family moved from a city called Salonica (now Thessaloniki) to France in the early 1900s. He was born in Paris and comes from a Jewish family with roots in Spain.
Joining the French Resistance
When Germany invaded France in 1940 during World War II, Morin helped people who were trying to escape. He joined a secret group called the French Resistance. This group fought against the German army. He started using the name Morin then, and he still uses it today. In 1941, he also joined the French Communist Party.
Starting a New Life
In 1945, Morin married Violette Chapellaubeau. After the war, he worked as a lieutenant in the French army in Germany. But in 1946, he decided to leave the army and focus on his work with the Communist Party.
However, Morin often questioned things, and his ideas didn't always fit with the party's rules. He was asked to leave the party in 1951 after writing an article. In the same year, he started working at the National Center of Scientific Research (CNRS), a big science organization.
Writing and Traveling
Morin started and led a magazine called Arguments from 1954 to 1962. In 1959, he wrote a book called Autocritique. In this book, he thought deeply about why he joined the Communist Party and why he left. He warned about the dangers of strict beliefs and tricking yourself.
In 1960, Morin traveled a lot in South America, visiting countries like Brazil and Mexico. When he came back to France, he wrote a book about popular culture called L'Esprit du Temps.
He also helped create a center to study mass communication, which later became the Edgar Morin Centre in Paris. In 1960, he even helped make a film called Chronique d'un été, which was a new kind of documentary.
Student Protests and New Ideas
In 1968, Morin became involved in student protests in France. He wrote articles trying to understand what was happening. He also spent a year in California, where he learned a lot about "systems theory." This is a way of understanding how different parts of a system work together.
In 1983, he wrote a book about the Soviet Union that predicted big changes there.
Recent Life and Work
In 2002, Morin helped start a group called the Collegium International that focuses on ethics and science. He also traveled to Iran.
In 2012, he married Sabah Abouessalam. They have worked together on books, including one about the lessons from the coronavirus in 2020.
Even at 101 years old, Morin continued to work. In 2022, a collection of his essays, The Challenge of Complexity: Essays by Edgar Morin, was published in English. This made his ideas more available to people who speak English.
Awards and Special Recognition
Edgar Morin has received many awards and honors for his important work. He didn't follow the popular philosophy trends in France, but he created his own path.
He is known as a founder of "transdisciplinarity." This means he believes in connecting different school subjects and areas of knowledge to solve real-world problems.
Honorary Degrees
As of 2013, he has received honorary doctorates (special degrees) from 21 universities around the world. These include universities in Geneva, Milan, and Rio de Janeiro.
Places Named After Him
Several places are named after Edgar Morin because of his ideas and methods:
- The Edgar Morin Centre in Paris, which is a research and teaching center.
- The Edgar Morin center for the study of complexity at the University of Messina in Italy.
- The Multiversidad Mundo Real Edgar Morin in Mexico, which is a university.
- A research center at Ricardo Palma University in Peru.
His 100th birthday in 2021 was celebrated in France, Italy, and Latin America. He also received France's highest honor, the Legion of Honour, from President Emmanuel Macron.
Understanding Our World: Polycrisis and Complex Thought
Edgar Morin is famous for inventing the idea of "polycrisis." He also helped us understand how everything in the world is connected and complex. His ideas help us deal with the big challenges we face today.
What is Polycrisis?
Morin first used the word polycrisis to describe a situation where many different problems happen at the same time. These problems, like environmental issues, social problems, money troubles, and political issues, are all linked. They make each other worse.
- Key ideas about polycrisis:
- Problems are not separate; they affect each other.
- Solving one problem might make another worse. We need to think about all of them together.
What is Complex Thought?
Morin's complex thought (or pensée complexe in French) is a way of thinking that tries to understand the world in a complete way. It doesn't try to break things down into tiny pieces. Instead, it looks at how everything fits together.
- Main ideas of complex thought:
- Thinking in opposites: Understanding that things can be both orderly and messy, or both one thing and many things, at the same time.
- Hologram principle: Imagine a hologram where each small part contains information about the whole picture. Morin says that in complex systems, each part somehow reflects the whole.
- Feedback loops: Thinking about how things affect each other in a circle. For example, if you do something, it changes the environment, and that change then affects you.
The Idea of Complexity
Morin's "paradigm of complexity" is a new way to approach knowledge. He believes we need to connect different subjects to solve real-world problems, like the polycrisis.
- Where it helps:
- Understanding climate change and how to live sustainably.
- Improving education.
- Helping leaders make decisions when things are uncertain.
Auto-eco-re-organization
This big word means that systems (like a forest or a society) can organize themselves. They also interact with their environment (eco), and they can change and reorganize themselves when faced with challenges.
- Examples:
- How a forest recovers after a fire.
- How people adapt during a global crisis.
Reliance
Morin says reliance is our ability to build and keep strong connections with others. He believes this is super important for solving complex problems. It shows how important teamwork and helping each other are in a world that can feel disconnected.
Metamorphosis
Instead of sudden, big changes (like a revolution), Morin talks about metamorphosis. This means deep but slow changes in societies. He is hopeful that we can gradually move towards a more fair and sustainable world.
Chaosmos
This word combines "chaos" (disorder) and "cosmos" (order). It means that in complex systems, there's always a mix of both order and disorder.
The Need to Change Our Thinking
Morin believes we need to "reform our thinking" to deal with the polycrisis. He wants education to teach us:
- How different subjects are connected.
- How to think critically and question things.
- To understand that there's always some uncertainty and that everything is connected.
Edgar Morin's ideas about polycrisis and complex thought give us important tools to understand our complicated world. His ideas help us find ways to solve global problems by thinking in a complete, flexible, and cooperative way.
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See also
In Spanish: Edgar Morin para niños
- Constructivist epistemology (How we gain knowledge)
- Systems thinking (Thinking about how parts of a system work together)
- Autopoiesis (How living systems create and maintain themselves)
