Heirs without past

The question of deep-rootedness and identity (subject discussed by media) don't have to be perceived as a burden, a stagnation but on the contrary as an incitement to a perpetual re appropriation: always remain creative, always free. The awareness of this starting point, we can call "legacy", and which includes culture and human sciences, gives the extent of the field to plough. To know the extent of a field doesn't mean to put the cart before the horse in the same furrows than his ancestors: this backward-looking vision seems very limited.
Françoise Bonardel (author of many books, of which Heirs without past Ed La transparence 03/2010) teaches philosophy:

the question of transmission, Tradition holds a central place in his works. To the author, the actual world reached a crucial point: we became insensitive, refractory, to the inheritance our ancestors gave us, to our origins, our roots. "If we don't know where we come from, we don't know where we go" says the saying... so where are we going?

Françoise Bonardel, with Jacques Colette and Stéphane Arguillière, tries to answer this question questioning about the origins of this breaking and the extent of this phenomenon. The three of them set an alarming statement: we have to enter in resistance and not to give up to sirens of passivity! 

Criticizing harshly a (so called) mercantile nomadism of jet setters and a cosmopolitanism with good compassionate feelings behind which is hidden a distorted standardization with an apology of consumption society on a world scale, Françoise Bonardel is worried about generalized usurpation which seems to be a leitmotiv of our society, and the irresponsibility of our leaders.  Does modernity have to create person without roots?  Is this wandering on a global scale part of the progressive march of history?









Far from any form of attachment to the past which idealizes "the good old time", or a dual vision (thus idiot) opposing Tradition and post modernity, great culture and small culture, Françoise Bonardel encourages us to reappropriation of our past without any restrictive clause, ignoring this haunting culpability which veils our judgment and prevents us from getting aware of this starting point... without which no road is possible.










An invitation to "the realization of the Self", placed under the yoke of universalism.

To close this brief presentation, we don't resist to the pleasure to recall two quotations which could illustrate this debate.
The first, on the theme of identity: "The fact of knowing ones roots, whatever it is a individual or a group, doesn't mean to go backwards, to get away from the present, it means on the contrary - to stay in the botanic metaphor - to know what leaves will grow on the branches.   Jacques Lacarrière

And the second, on transmission "Why having a knowledge if it doesn't lead you to fight? Nothing. It's precisely as though somebody knew a great treasure, and wouldn't go to look for it; and knowing where to take it, he would starve too death knowing it" Jakob Böhme

A 75-minutes debate presented by Virginie Durand.