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Mattéi, Jean-François
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2 articles of this author have been cited in the European Press Review so far.
Jean-François Mattéi on civilised and primitive peoples
The French Minister of the Interior Claude Guéant stated publicly a week ago that "not all civilsations are equal", which triggered a wave of protest above all from the opposition Socialists. But Europeans have every right to judge other cultures, writes the philosopher Jean-François Mattéi in the conservative daily Le Figaro: "Reactions to the statement by Claude Guéant on the inequality of civilisations vary from the ridiculous to the grotesque and the plain silly. ... There is but one civilisation, just as there is but one humanity and one reason. And it so happens that it was European culture that came up with this idea of civilisation. It developed the idea of the universal so as to share it with those who as yet had no access to it. As a result one can very well make the distinction between civilised and savage or barbarian, because the progress of civilisation implies leaving primitive, degenerate forms of life behind one. It goes without saying that this distinction has always been made by the civilised, that is to say historically by Western civilisation. And it can't be blamed for doing so, because this it was this culture that discovered and theorised the idea of the universal before applying it to other peoples."
» full article (external link, French)
More from the press review on the subject » Philosophy, » Weltanschauung, » Society, » Europe, » Global
Jean-François Mattéi on the superiority of European culture
In an interview conducted by Elisabeth Lévy, French philosopher Jean-François Mattéi reflects on what makes up European identity. "All civilisation is defined by a vision of the world. The Indians, the Aztecs saw the world, but not in the same way that the Europeans did. European civilisation puts vision in a privileged position; that which the Greeks called 'theoria'. It's with this theoretical vision that Europe was able to extend its hold over the world, and with this vision was born the works that assured its supremacy. ... The European vision has always aimed at an identity, a scientific identity with the idea of 'the real', an ethical and practical identity via 'the good', an aesthetic identity with 'the beautiful'. For me, there isn't only a specificity, but a superiority to European culture. Other cultures have signs, images, words, but Europeans invented the concept."
» full article (external link, French)
More from the press review on the subject » History, » Philosophy, » Europe
All available articles from » Elisabeth Lévy
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