George Duby and Alain Péretié-French Academician Inauguration Speech

Author: Georges Duby (France)
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2006-05-01
Features: I set out on an adventure, carrying no more ammunition than necessary, hesitating between several paths, choosing the least risky one to seek the truth of a life that had disappeared. From the moment I set off, I was warned that my goal was unattainable. Because those who write history had recently convinced themselves that this kind of truth was inaccessible. Not by the humble efforts of humans could the truth of past events be fully grasped—I am not speaking of deep movements, but of events, simple events. In their extreme and ever-changing complexity, how can one outline the overall profile of a person as they form and change over the course of time? Among the many qualities that helped Marcel Alain achieve a lifetime of success, I believe I have emphasized at least three. I have become aware that they can guide the historian's role. , the desire for independence. This quality, compared to the desire for success, compared to various prejudices, compared to the subtle of ideological construction, to which we are all unconsciously subjected, is essential. Second, rigorous demands. History is not just information; it cannot be formed without responsibility and fidelity. We gather these scattered fragments of information, trying to arrange them one by one, but we have no right to alter, distort, or exclude them. We should restore them to their original positions with the perseverance we need to achieve our dreams. I am speaking of dreams. In fact, if a historian lacks dreams, if they do not allow their imagination to roam freely, how can they piece together these scattered fragments, how can they mend the tattered clothes of memory? Thus, the third quality becomes indispensable: understanding, or sensitivity. Only it can help the historian forget themselves, detach from the present, and embody the witness they wish to be. The historian observes the world through the eyes of a witness, establishing a rich and passionate relationship between themselves and the vague phenomena they observe. Alain did exactly this, treating painting with a deeply sensitive approach. However, these three qualities are not enough. If the historian tries to convince others of his discoveries, if he acknowledges his uncertainty about certain things, if he describes the often stumbling journey of his adventures, and if he lacks the delightful, irreplaceable linguistic magic that is evident in Marcel Alain's works, then he will also need a certain quality: the ability to write with composure, clarity, conciseness, and detail. Because, I believe, history is first and foremost an art of appropriate expression.