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Besancon Alain

Apr 25, 1932

Rating : AA (Data from a birth certificate)

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    Lagan

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Relationship : Marriage 1954 (4 children)

Ai Generated Biography Biography

French historian, writer, culture critic and expert on Russian politics and intellectual history who serves as honorary director of studies at the Ecole des Hautes Etudes en Sciences Sociales (EHESS) in Paris. He was awarded a doctorate in history in 1967 and a doctorate in letters and human sciences a decade later. He is the author and/or co-author of 20 books. In one of his books, La Malheur du Siècle: Communisme, Nazisme et l’Unicité de la Shoah in English A Century of Horrors: Communism, Nazism, and the Uniqueness of the Shoah, the historian turns to theology as the only resource that can shed even feeble illumination on how we remember ideologies responsible for incalculable destruction. Une Génération (1987), winner of Prix d’Historie of the Académie Française, and L’Image Interdite: Une Historie Intellectuelle de l’Iconoclasme (1994), awarded both the Grand Prix d’Historie Chateaubriand-La Vallée aux Loups and the Médaille de Fondation Michel Perret. Published in English to wide acclaim as The Forbidden Image: An Intellectual History of Iconoclasm (2000), it traces the privileging and prohibition of religious images over a span of two and a half millennia in the West. Link to Wikipedia (French) Read less

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Update at: Sep 18, 2025
Profile of Alain Besançon

Alain Besançon - Public Profile

Biography

Alain Besançon was born on April 25, 1932, in Paris, France. He is a renowned French historian specializing in intellectual history and the history of Russian and Soviet thought. Besançon has made significant contributions to the understanding of ideological systems and their impact on societies.

Recent News

As of the latest updates, Alain Besançon has not been in the media spotlight recently. His work continues to be influential among scholars and students of history, though he maintains a relatively low public profile.

Social Media Presence

Alain Besançon does not have an active presence on social media platforms. His work and insights are primarily shared through academic publications, lectures, and interviews.

Recent Projects

Alain Besançon has not been known to engage in new publicly documented projects recently. Historically, his work has focused on the analysis of ideologies, particularly communism and its effects on society and culture. He has authored numerous books and articles that continue to be referenced in academic circles.

Publications

  • "The Forbidden Image: An Intellectual History of Iconoclasm"
  • "Anatomy of a Specter: The Concept of Totalitarianism"
  • "The Rise of the Gulag: Intellectual Origins and Historical Context"

Academic Contributions

Besançon's work largely revolves around the critique of totalitarian regimes and the analysis of their ideological underpinnings. His exploration of iconoclasm and its intellectual history has been particularly impactful, providing a framework for understanding the cultural and psychological mechanisms of ideological movements.

For more detailed insights into Alain Besançon's work, readers are encouraged to explore his published books and articles, which provide a comprehensive overview of his research and conclusions.