Dr. Edgar Morin

Philosopher and sociologist Edgar Morin, born in 1921, is one of France’s leading contemporary thinkers. His large body of work is characterized by a concern for knowledge that is neither hampered nor pigeonholed, capable of grasping the complexity of reality and of observing the singular while placing it within the whole. We need to understand the nature of being human, Morin says. However, first we must discover that “the treasure of human unity is human diversity and that the treasure of human diversity is human unity”. He presents his thinking on education in La tête bien faite, Relier les connaissances. His book Seven Complex Lessons in Education for the Future (2000) has been translated into many languages. 

Edgar Morin has concentrated on developing a method that can meet the challenge of the complexity of our world and reform thinking, preconditions for confronting all fundamental, global problems. His works – the six volumes of The Method (1977-2004), On Complexity, California Journal, Vidal and His Family, Pour sortir du XXème siècle, Concept of Europe, New Trends in the Study of Mass Communications, Homeland Earth, La Voie – have been translated into many languages, including Chinese, English, German, Greek, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Polish, Portuguese, Russian, Spanish, Swedish and Turkish. 

Morin has received honorary doctorates in subjects ranging from political science to psychology and sociology from universities in 27 countries in the world and holds an itinerant UNESCO Chair in Complex Thought. Today he is recognized as a planetary thinker of our time.