On 20 May, we conducted a study visit to the Collège de France, a prestigious public institution of higher education and research, founded in 1530. As part of the visit, we attended a series of lectures delivered by Professor Didier Fassin under the general theme Forms of Violence. The lectures presented on that day were entitled Généalogies and Écrire (“Writing”).

Didier Fassin, a renowned sociologist and anthropologist, explores the multifaceted manifestations of violence in contemporary societies through this lecture series, analysing their social, moral, and political implications. The series is part of the Chair in Moral Questions and Political Challenges in Contemporary Societies, which Professor Fassin currently holds.

A significant figure in sociological thought, French philosopher Michel Foucault held the Chair in The History of Systems of Thought at the Collège de France from 1971 until his death in 1984.

On 2 December 1970, Michel Foucault delivered his inaugural lecture at the Collège de France, which was published two months later under the title The Order of Discourse. In this foundational text, Foucault examined the intricate relationship between power, knowledge, and discourse, highlighting the mechanisms through which discourse is controlled, selected, organised, and disseminated within society.

Every week, initially at midday on Wednesdays, and from 1976 onwards in the mornings, Foucault delivered public lectures at this world-renowned institution. These lectures became major intellectual events, attended by thousands, and played a critical role in shaping the standards of modern critical inquiry.