France honors Edgar Morin with a national three-day mourning period

Paris – 02.06.2026: Next Wednesday, June 3, 2026, the memory of the late philosopher and sociologist Edgar Morin will be honored at a solemn ceremony at the Invalides Hall in Paris. The event will begin at 11 o’clock and will be held under the direction of President Emmanuel Macron. Initially, the location for the event was planned to be the Cour d’Honneur of the Invalides Hall, but due to renovation work, the ceremony will take place in the Cour du Dôme.

Edgar Morin, born as Edgar Nahum into a Jewish family from Thessaloniki, Greece, emigrated to Paris. In 1941, he joined the French Communist Party and participated in the Resistance movement under the pseudonym Morin. His intellectual career is marked by numerous works, including “Autocritique” (1959), where he reflects on his own exclusion from the Communist Party and his stance on Stalinism. In “La Rumeur d’Orléans” (1969), he examines a wave of anti-Semitic rumors, and “La Méthode” (1977–2004), comprising six volumes, is considered his main work. Additionally, in a number of books, he addressed ecological themes, which were especially important to him.

Morin sought as a historian, philosopher, and scientist to overcome boundaries between disciplines. His call for an interdisciplinary perspective allowed him to capture and communicate the complex interconnections of contemporary society. Despite his advanced age, he remained a respected voice in intellectual dialogue and was highly valued by the media for his insightful views.

President Emmanuel Macron honored Morin as a “Resistance soldier, devoted and liberating thinker, writer and thinker of the century, as well as a protector of nature and peoples.” He called him “the embodiment of humanism” and emphasized “the complexity of his thinking, fruitful life, and universal spirit.”

The ceremony will be accompanied by various media: on Sunday, June 1, France Télévisions at 18:40 on France 5 will broadcast a special edition of the magazines “En société” and “C politique,” dedicated to Morin’s life and work. On Wednesday, June 3, France 5 at 21:05 will air a special edition of “La Grande Librairie,” presenting the most important moments of Morin’s numerous appearances on the program.

Edgar Morin left behind a significant intellectual legacy that has profoundly influenced the French intellectual environment. His interdisciplinary approach and tireless work for a more just and sustainable world continue to inspire many.