French Academy Inauguration Speech: Henry de Montherlant, Valéry

Author: (French) Montaigne, Yourcenar, Valery, translated by Gui Yufang, Wu Kangru
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2006-05-01
Features: This collection of speeches by French Academicians, presented before the readers, includes the inaugural addresses of over ten French Academicians at the ceremonies of their induction into the French Academy or the Collège de France. These academicians come from diverse fields—philosophy (Aron), history (Duby, Braudel), literature (Montaigne, Valery, Yourcenar), theater (Ionesco), anthropology (Dumézil), biological sciences (Roche)—among many others. Respected for their brilliant achievements and colorful works in their respective eras, their names have been etched in history with brilliance. One of the purposes of compiling this book is to allow readers to gain insight into the spiritual demeanor of these intellectual elites, appreciating and experiencing the profound sentiments in their souls. As everyone knows, the inaugural speeches of the Collège de France members (such as Duby) have later been widely recognized as academic masterpieces, such as Merleau-Ponty’s The Prose of Philosophy, Foucault’s The Order of Discourse, and the one included in our collection, Medieval Society, among others. This is because the tradition of the Collège de France is that teachers must always speak about what they are currently thinking and researching, rather than what has already been said by others. Such speeches truly belong to the "frontier of academia."
At the French Academy, the welcoming speeches of newly inducted members do not focus on themselves but instead express deep respect and sincerity in detailing and analyzing the works and thoughts of their predecessors. Their own academic achievements are introduced by sitting academicians in the response speeches. We can see that both the speaker and the respondent exhibit sincere attitudes filled with gratitude toward the subject of discussion. What is even more impressive is how thoroughly the newly inducted members are familiar with their predecessors—both as individuals and as thinkers—and how deeply they understand their predecessors’ thoughts and words. It is particularly noteworthy that some newly inducted academicians, whose reputation far surpasses that of their predecessors, still maintain such a calm attitude toward themselves, show humility in respecting their predecessors, and remain objective in their analysis—truly admirable.
The vitality of a nation, a people, or even a culture, its ability to remain healthy and sustainable, and its prospects for a bright future—all depend on one fundamental criterion: how it treats its predecessors and how it understands its traditions. Therefore, different nations, equally endowed with long traditions, may produce entirely different outcomes due to their differing attitudes toward this issue. If we patiently read the speeches of these academicians, we will gain a deeper understanding of this point and also develop a more rational perspective on why vibrant intellectual activity in the 20th century often occurred in France.