Edgar Morin

Edgar Morin (; ; né Nahoum; born 8 July 1921) is a French philosopher and sociologist of the theory of information who has been recognized for his work on complexity and "complex thought" ('' pensée complexe''), and for his scholarly contributions to such diverse fields as media studies, politics, sociology, visual anthropology, ecology, education, and systems biology. He holds two bachelors, one in history and geography and one in law,Edgar Morin ou l'éloge de la pensée complexe, CNRS Le Journal. and never did a Ph.D. Though less well known in the anglophone world due to the limited availability of English translations of his over 60 books, Morin is renowned in the French-speaking world, Europe, and Latin America.

During his academic career, he was primarily associated with the École des hautes études en sciences sociales (EHESS) in Paris.

Biography

At the beginning of the 20th century, Morin's family migrated from the Ottoman city of Salonica (Thessaloniki) to Marseille and later to Paris, where Edgar was born. He is of Sephardic Jewish origin.

In 1936, during the Spanish Civil War, Morin joined the libertarian socialist organization Solidarité Internationale Antifasciste. Two years later, he joined the pacifist anti-fascist, left-wing Parti Frontiste.

When the Germans invaded France in 1940, Morin assisted refugees and joined the French Resistance. He joined the French Communist Party in 1941. He then joined Michel Cailliau's MRPGD (Mouvement de Résistance des Pronniers de Guerre et Déportés), which was a resistance movement against the German occupation of France. The MRPGD later merged into François Mitterrand's MNPGD ( Mouvement national des prisonniers de guerre et déportés). He later became attaché to the staff of the 1st French Army in Germany (1945), then head of the "Propaganda" office in the French Military Government (1946). At the Liberation, he wrote L'An zéro de l'Allemagne (Germany's Year Zero), in which he described the mental state of the defeated people of Germany as being in a state of "somnambulism", in the grip of a "state of depression," hunger, and rumors.

As a member of the French Resistance he adopted the pseudonym ''Morin'' after a miscommunication during a meeting of resistance fighters in Toulouse, when he introduced himself Edgar Manin, in reference to Malraux's character in ''La Condition humaine''. They misheard him as "Morin," and the name stuck.

In 1945, Morin married Irène "Violette" Chapellaubeau and they lived in Landau, where he served as a lieutenant in the French Occupation army in Germany.

In 1946, he returned to Paris and gave up his military career to pursue his activities with the Communist Party. In 1948 and 1949, he wrote for the arts and entertainment section of the ''Patriote Résistant''; however, due to his critical posture, his relationship with the party gradually deteriorated until he was expelled in 1951 after he published an article in '' L'Observateur politique, économique et littéraire''. In the same year, he was admitted to the National Center of Scientific Research (CNRS).

In 1955, he was one of the four leaders of the Comité contre la guerre d'Algérie (Committee against the Algerian War). He defended Algerian politicianMessali Hadj. Unlike Jean-Paul Sartre, André Breton, Guy Debord and his friends Marguerite Duras and Dionys Mascolo, he did not sign the ''Declaration on the Right to Insubordination in the Algerian War'', known as the " Manifesto of 121", published in September 1960 in the journal ''Vérité-Liberté''. Believing that the urgent need was to avoid the installation of dictatorships in France and Algeria, he joined Claude Lefort, Maurice Merleau-Ponty and Roland Barthes in instead calling for urgent negotiations.

Morin founded and directed the magazine ' (1954–1962). In 1959 his book ''Autocritique'' was published. The book was a sustained reflection on his adherence to, and subsequent exit from, the Communist Party, focusing on the dangers of ideology and self-deception.

In 1960, Morin travelled extensively in Latin America, visiting Brazil, Chile, Bolivia, Peru and Mexico. He returned to France, where he published ''L'Esprit du Temps'', a work on popular culture''.''

That same year, French sociologist Georges Friedmann brought him and Roland Barthes together to create a Centre for the Study of Mass Communication that, after several name changes, became the Edgar Morin Centre of the EHESS, Paris.

Also in 1960 Morin and Jean Rouch coauthored the film Chronique d'un été, an early example of ''cinéma vérité'' and direct cinema.

Beginning in 1965, Morin became involved in a large multidisciplinary project, financed by the Délégation Générale à la Recherche Scientifique et Technologique in Plozévet. This project culminated in ''La Métamorphose de Plodémet'' (1967), which was an ethnology of contemporary French society about the commune of Plozévet (in Finistère, at the University of Nanterre. He became involved in the student revolts that began to emerge in France. In May 1968 he wrote a series of articles for ''Le Monde'' that tried to understand what he called "The Student Commune." He followed the student revolt closely and wrote a second series of articles in Le Monde called "The Revolution without a Face," as well as coauthoring ''Mai 68: La brèche'' with Cornelius Castoriadis and Claude Lefort.

In 1969, Morin spent a year at the Salk Institute for Biological Studies in La Jolla, California. Jonas Salk invited him under the recommendation of Jacques Monod and John Hunt, with the sole imposed condition of learning. It was there, in this "breeding ground for Nobel Prizes" that he familiarized himself with systems theory. He read Henri Laborit, James Watson, Stéphane Lupasco, Bronowski, and was introduced to the thought of Gregory Bateson and the "new problematic in ecology".

In 1970, he married Johanne Harrelle, but the relationship did not last. In 1982, he married Edwige Lannegrace, who was his lifelong partner until her death in 2008.

In 1983 he published ''De la nature de l’URSS,'' which deepened his analysis of Soviet communism and anticipated the perestroika of Mikhail Gorbachev.

In 2002 Morin participated in the creation of the International Ethical, Scientific and Political Collegium. Also that year, he made a trip to Iran with Dariush Shayegan.

Following a meeting at a music festival in Fez, Morocco, in 2009, Morin became close with sociology professor Sabah Abouessalam. The couple married in 2012. He collaborated with her on the text, ''La rencontre improbable et nécessaire'' (Presses de la Renaissance, 2013), and in 2020 on ''Changeons de voie - Les leçons du coronavirus'' (Denoël, 2020).

At the age of 101, Morin worked on a translation of 32 of his essays alongside sociologist Amy Heath-Carpentier in the book ''The Challenge of Complexity: Essays by Edgar Morin'', which included a few that were translated into English for the first time.

Polycrisis and complex thought

Edgar Morin is not only the originator of the concept of '' polycrisis'' but also a leading figure in developing a framework for understanding the interconnectedness and complexity of global phenomena. His contributions span a wide array of disciplines, providing tools to analyze and address the multifaceted challenges of the 21st century.

Polycrisis

The term '' polycrisis'', first introduced by Edgar Morin, describes a situation in which multiple crises—environmental, social, economic, and political—are interconnected, amplifying each other’s impacts. This concept is deeply rooted in Morin's work, particularly in ''Terre-Patrie'' (1993) (''Homeland Earth: A Manifesto for the New Millennium'''', 1999)'', where he explores how the global ecological crisis is inseparable from broader systemic issues such as inequality, governance failures, and cultural fragmentation.

* Key principles:
** Crises are not isolated but interact dynamically, creating feedback loops (''Terre-Patrie'', 1993; ''La Méthode'', Tome 1, 1977).
** Solutions to one crisis can exacerbate others, requiring integrated and systemic responses.

For more details, see the dedicated Polycrisis page.

Complex thought

Morin's complex thought (''pensée complexe'') forms the foundation of his intellectual contributions. It is a paradigm that seeks to transcend reductionism by integrating multiple dimensions of reality.

* Core principles:
** ''Dialogical thinking'': Reconciling contradictions, such as order and chaos, unity and diversity.
** ''Hologrammatic principle'': Each part of a system contains the whole in some way.
** ''Recursive organization'': Feedback loops between systems and their components.

The paradigm of complexity

Morin’s paradigm of complexity offers a methodological and epistemological shift in approaching knowledge. He advocates for connecting disciplines to address real-world problems, such as the polycrisis.

* Application areas:
** Climate change and sustainability.
** Education reform.
** Governance in times of uncertainty.

Auto-eco-re-organization

This concept emphasizes the self-organizing capacity of systems, coupled with their interaction with their environment (''eco'') and their ability to reorganize in response to challenges (''re-organization''). It is particularly relevant in understanding ecological systems and human societies.

* Examples:
** Ecosystem resilience in the face of climate change.
** Societal adaptation during global crises.

Reliance

Morin identifies ''reliance'' — the human capacity to create and maintain meaningful connections—as essential for addressing complex problems. This concept underscores the importance of solidarity and cooperation in a fragmented world.

Metamorphosis

In contrast to revolution, Morin proposes ''metamorphosis'' as a framework for understanding profound but gradual transformations in societies. This idea reflects his optimism for a potential transition to more sustainable and equitable systems.

Chaosmos

A synthesis of chaos and cosmos, this concept highlights the interplay between disorder and order in complex systems. It is a central idea in Morin’s reflections on systems theory and ecology.

The reform of thinking

Morin emphasizes the need for a ''reform of thought'' to address the challenges of the polycrisis. He advocates for education that fosters:

* Interdisciplinary knowledge.
* Critical thinking.
* Awareness of uncertainty and interconnectedness.

These principles are extensively explored and applied across various domains in Morin's six-volume magnum opus, La Méthode. In the 1972 international colloquium L'Unité de l'Homme, which he co-organized with Jacques Monod and Massimo Piatelli-Palmarini, Morin aimed to bridge different disciplinary perspectives on human nature.

Edgar Morin’s work on ''polycrisis'' and ''complex thought'' provides a vital intellectual toolkit for navigating the challenges of an interconnected and uncertain world. His concepts—rooted in systems thinking and transdisciplinarity—continue to inspire solutions to global crises, emphasizing the importance of holistic, adaptive, and cooperative approaches.

Recognition and legacy

Morin did not embrace the French postmodern or poststructuralist movements, instead pursuing his own research agenda. As a result, US academics did not transport his theories into disciplinary discourses in same fashion as they did Foucault's, Derrida's and Galinon-Mélénec's. However, Morin's work spans scholarly and popular literature, and he has appeared on the cover of multiple publications including ''Sciences Humaines'' and a special issue of ''Le Monde''.

In addition to being the UNESCO Chair of Complex Thought, Morin is known as a founder of transdisciplinarity. he holds honorary doctorates in a variety of social science fields from 21 universities: Messina, Geneva, Milan, Bergamo, Thessaloniki, La Paz, Odense, Perugia, Cosenza, Palermo, Nuevo León, Université Laval in Québec, Brussels, Barcelona, Guadalajara, Valencia, Vera Cruz, Santiago, the Catholic University of Porto Alegre, the Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Norte, and Candido Mendes University in Rio de Janeiro.

Several academic institutions have been named in his honour, with research centres based on his transdisciplinary methods and philosophy. These include transdisciplinary methods and philosophy.
* Edgar Morin Centre in Paris (formerly Centre d'Études Transdisciplinaires, Sociologie, Anthropologie, Histoire, or CETSAH), a graduate teaching and research unit of the École des Hautes Études en Sciences Sociales (EHESS) and of the French Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS) in Paris
*Edgar Morin centre for the study of complexity at the University of Messina, Messina, Sicily, Italy
* Multiversidad Mundo Real Edgar Morin in Mexico, a university
*A research centre at Ricardo Palma University in Lima, Peru

Morin is the subject of several biographies as well as documentary films and TV shows, including the 2015 documentary ''Edgar Morin, chronique d'un regard'', co-directed by Olivier Bohler and Céline Gailleurd.

His 100th birthday in 2021 was celebrated in France, Italy, and Latin America, and several collections of essays were published in his honour.

His work has been influential in southern Europe, Latin America, Francophone Africa, and more recently China and Japan. Morin's work has become increasingly accessible to the English-speaking world, notably with the 2022 publication of ''The Challenge of Complexity: Essays by Edgar Morin'', which compiled 32 essays, including some that were translated into English for the first time. Morin worked on this collection with sociologist Amy Heath-Carpentier at the age of 101.

Morin was elevated to the dignity of Knight Grand Cross of the Legion of Honour, in the Honours List of Bastille Day 2021 by French President Emmanuel Macron.

Honours

Books

* 1946 : ''L'An zéro de l'Allemagne'', Paris, Éditions de la Cité Universelle.
* 1947 : ''Allemagne notre souci'', Paris, Éditions Hier et Aujourd'hui.
* 1948 : ''Une cornerie'', Paris, Éditions Nagel.
* 1948 : ''L'Homme et la Mort'', Paris, Éditions Corrêa.
* 1956 : ''Le Cinéma ou l'homme imaginaire'', Paris, Éditions de Minuit.
* 1957 : ''Les Stars'', Paris, Le Seuil.
* 1959 : ''Autocritique'', Paris, Le Seuil.
* 1962 : ''L'esprit du temps. Essai sur la culture de masse'', Paris, Grasset-Fasquelle.
* 1967 : ''Commune en France. La métamorphose de Plodémet'', Paris, Fayard.
* 1968 : ''Mai 68, La Brèche'', Paris, Fayard.
* 1969 : ''La Rumeur d'Orléans'', Paris, Le Seuil.
* 1969 : ''Introduction à une politique de l'homme'', Paris, Le Seuil.
* 1969 : ''Le vif du sujet'', Paris, Le Seuil.
* 1970 : ''Journal de Californie'', Paris, Le Seuil.
* 1973 : ''Le Paradigme perdu : la nature humaine'', Paris, Le Seuil.
* 1974 : ''L'unité de l'homme'', Paris, Le Seuil.
* 1977 : ''La Méthode'', Paris, Le Seuil.
* 1981 : ''Pour sortir du XXe siècle'', Paris, Nathan.
* 1982 : ''Science avec conscience'', Paris, Fayard.
* 1983 : ''De la nature de l’URSS'', Paris, Fayard.
* 1984 : ''Le Rose et le noir'', Paris, Galilée.
* 1984 : ''Sociologie'', Paris, Fayard.
* 1987 : ''Penser l'Europe'', Paris, Gallimard.
* 1988 : ''Mais...'', Paris, Édition Neo/Soco Invest.
* 1989 : ''Vidal et les siens'', Paris, Le Seuil.
* 1990 : ''Introduction à la pensée complexe'', Paris, ESF.
* 1993 : ''Terre-Patrie'', Paris, Le Seuil.
* 1994 : ''Mes démons'', Paris, Stock.
* 1995 : ''Les Fratricides : Yougoslavie-Bosnie (1991-1995)'', Paris, Édition Arléa.
* 1995 : ''Une année sisyphe'', Paris, Le Seuil.
* 1997 : ''Comprendre la complexité dans les organisations de soins'', Paris, ASPEPS.
* 1997 : ''Une politique de civilisation'', Paris, Arléa, Paris.
* 1997 : ''Amour, Poésie, Sagesse'', Paris, Le Seuil.
* 1999 : ''L'Intelligence de la complexité'', Paris, L'Harmattan.
* 1999 : ''Relier les connaissances'', Paris, Le Seuil.
* 1999 : ''Une tête bien faite : Repenser la réforme, réformer la pensée'', Paris, Le Seuil.
* 2000 : ''Les Sept Savoirs nécessaires à l'éducation du futur'', Paris, Le Seuil.
* 2000 : ''Dialogue sur la nature humaine'', Paris, L'Aube.
* 2001 : ''Journal de Plozévet'', Bretagne, 1965, Paris, L'Aube.
* 2002 : ''Dialogue sur la connaissance. Entretiens avec des lycéens'', Paris, La Tour d'Aigues.
* 2002 : ''Pour une politique de civilisation'', Paris, Arléa.
* 2003 : ''La Violence du monde'', Paris, Édition du Félin.
* 2003 : ''Éduquer pour l’ère planétaire, la pensée complexe comme méthode d’apprentissage dans l’erreur et l’incertitude humaine'', Paris, Balland.
* 2003 : ''Université, quel avenir ?'', Paris, Éditions Charles Léopold Mayer.
* 2003 : ''Les Enfants du ciel : entre vide, lumière, matière'', Paris, Odile Jacob.
* 2004 : ''Pour entrer dans le XXIe siècle'', Paris, Le Seuil.
* 2005 : ''Culture et Barbarie européennes'', Paris, Bayard.
* 2006 : ''Itinérance'', Paris, Arléa.
* 2006 : ''Le Monde moderne et la question juive'', Paris, Le Seuil.
* 2007 : ''L'An I de l'ère écologique'', Paris, Tallandier.
* 2007 : ''Où va le monde ?'', Paris, L'Herne.
* 2007 : ''Vers l'abîme'', Paris, L'Herne.
* 2008 : ''Mon chemin'', Paris, Fayard.
* 2008 : ''Vive la politique ?'', Grenoble, Forum Libération de Grenoble.
* 2009 : ''Crises'', Paris, CNRS.
* 2009 : ''La Pensée tourbillonnaire'', Paris, Éditions Germina.
* 2009 : ''Edwige, l'inséparable'', Paris, Fayard.
* 2010 : ''Pour et contre Marx'', Paris, Temps présent.
* 2010 : ''Ma gauche'', Paris, Éditions François Bourin.
* 2010 : ''Comment vivre en temps de crise ?'', Paris, Bayard.
* 2011 : ''La Voie : pour l'avenir de l'humanité'', Paris, Fayard.
* 2011 : ''Conversation pour l'avenir'', Paris, L'Aube.
* 2011 : ''Dialogue sur la connaissance : Entretiens avec des lycéens'', Paris, L'Aube.
* 2011 : ''Mes philosophes'', Paris, Germina.
* 2011 : ''Le Chemin de l'espérance'', Paris, Fayard.
* 2012 : ''La France est une et multiculturelle. Lettre aux citoyens de France'', Paris, Fayard.
* 2013 : ''Mon Paris'', ma mémoire, Paris, Fayard.
* 2013 : ''La rencontre improbable et nécessaire'' (with Sabah Abouessalam), Paris, Presses De La Renaissance.
* 2014 : ''Notre Europe : Décomposition ou métamorphose'', Paris, Fayard.
* 2014 : ''Au péril des idées'', Paris, Presses du Châtelet.
* 2014 : ''Enseigner à vivre. Manifeste pour changer l’éducation'', Paris, Actes Sud-Play Bac Éditions.
* 2015 : ''Avant, pendant, après le 11 janvier'', Paris, L'Aube.
* 2015 : ''Impliquons-nous ! Dialogue pour le siècle'', Paris, Actes Sud.
* 2015 : ''Penser global : L'humain et son univers'', Paris, Robert Laffont.
* 2016 : ''Pour l'esthétique'', Paris, Robert Laffont.
* 2016 : ''Pour une crisologie'', Paris, L'Herne.
* 2016 : ''Ecologiser l'Homme'', Paris, Lemieux Éditeur.
* 2017 : ''Connaissance, Ignorance, Mystère'', Paris, Fayard.
* 2017 : ''L’Île de Luna'', Paris, Actes sud.
* 2017 : ''L'Urgence et l'Essentiel'', Paris, Éditions Don Quichotte.
* 2017 : ''Le temps est venu de changer de civilisation'', Paris, L'Aube.
* 2017 : ''Où est passé le peuple de gauche ?'', Paris, L'Aube.
* 2018 : ''Pour résister à la régression'', Paris, L'Aube.
* 2018 : ''Le Cinéma : Un art de la complexité'', Paris, Nouveau Monde Éditions.
* 2019 : ''La Fraternité, pourquoi ?'', Paris, L'Aube.
* 2019 : ''Chronique d'un été'', Paris, L'Aube.
* 2019 : ''Les souvenirs viennent à ma rencontre'', Paris, Fayard.
* 2020 : ''Quelle école voulons-nous ? La Passion du savoir'' (with Jean-Michel Blanquer), Paris, Éditions Odile Jacob.
* 2020 : ''Sur la crise : Pour une crisologie suivi de Où va le monde ?'', Paris, Éditions Flammarion, coll. Champs.
* 2020 : ''Changeons de voie : Les leçons du coronavirus'' (in collaboration with Sabah Abouessalam), Paris, Éditions Denoël.
* 2020 : ''L'entrée dans l'ère écolgique'', Paris, L'Aube.
* 2021 : ''Frères d’âme, entretien avec Pierre Rabhi'' under questions of Denis Lafay. Paris, L'Aube.
* 2021 : ''Leçons d’un siècle de vie'', Paris, Édfitions Denoël.
* 2022 : Réveillons-nous !, Paris, Éditions Denoël.
* 2022 : The Challenge of Complexity: Essays by Edgar Morin, Edited by Amy Heath-Carpentier, Liverpool, Liverpool University Press.
* 2024 : ''Cheminer vers l'essentiel'', Albin Michel
* 2025 : ''Y a-t-il des leçons de l'Histoire?'', Denoël

Articles

* "The Noise and the Message"
''Telos''
33 (Fall 1977). New York: Telos Press.

Conferences

* 2005, "Restricted complexity, general complexity".

See also

* Constructivist epistemology
* Systems thinking
* Autopoiesis
* Anti-foundationalism
* Language of thought hypothesis

References

External links

Edgar Morin writings and interview in the UNESCO Courier

Interview with Edgar Morin
a
The Global University Network for Innovation
(GUNI)

WISE 2013 Special Address
a lecture in English at the World Innovation Summit for Education

The Persecution of Edgar Morin
by Doug Ireland

"La réalité semi-imaginaire de l'homme"
, last chapter of the book "Cinéma ou l'homme imaginaire" (1956)

Edgar Morin: Seven Complex Lessons in Education
video with English subtitltes

'In Praise of Complex Thought' CNRS News Edgar Morin Interview with Francis Lecompte July 2019

{{DEFAULTSORT:Morin, Edgar
1921 births
Living people
French men centenarians
Writers from Paris
French sociologists
20th-century French Sephardi Jews
Jewish philosophers
Jewish sociologists
Jews in the French resistance
French epistemologists
Frontist Party politicians
French Communist Party politicians
Unified Socialist Party (France) politicians
Transdisciplinarity
20th-century French philosophers
Commanders of the Legion of Honour
Grand Officers of the Ordre national du Mérite
Commandeurs of the Ordre des Arts et des Lettres
French National Centre for Scientific Research scientists
French male writers
Communist members of the French Resistance
21st-century French philosophers
French Army personnel of World War II
French Army officers
University of Paris alumni
Jewish centenarians
French philosophers of technology