Edgar Morin dies at 104: unanimous tributes to a "humanism made person"

Sociologist and philosopher Edgar Morin died on Friday, May 29, at the age of 104. The announcement was made on Saturday by his wife, Sabah Abouessalam-Morin, who paid tribute to "one of the last great resisters, a humanist, a tireless thinker and writer," describing him as "a free spirit, a singular voice, a master, and a luminous presence in dark times." "Until his final days, Edgar Morin remained attentive to the world, to others, and to the great human challenges that nourished his thought," his family stated. Born in 1921, the author of *La Méthode*—a vast encyclopedia of complex thought written between 1977 and 2004—lived through an entire century, observing it, questioning it, and refusing to the very end to simplify it.

"Thinker of complexity," "transmitter of knowledge": the words of the political world

Emmanuel Macron He hailed him as “a soldier of the Resistance, an activist and free spirit, a writer and thinker of the century, a defender of nature and of peoples,” whom he had described in 2021 as “a man of the century and a guardian of the planet.” “With his kindness and his curiosity, he never ceased to enlighten us. Complex thought, a fruitful life, a universal spirit. Humanism defines a person,” the president wrote on X, offering “the condolences of the Nation.” Dominique de Villepin paid tribute to “a thinker of tragedy, never of resignation,” who “understood better than many that the future is built neither on rigid certainties nor on brutal simplifications.” François Hollande recalled that Edgar Morin “built his reflections by drawing from all scientific disciplines” and “chose the paths of intellectual freedom. Sometimes stumbling, always correcting himself.” Jean-Luc Mélenchon, who emphasized his recent commitment against "the massacre of Palestinians in Gaza," concluded: "An example never dies." Carole Delga, president of the Occitanie region, shared a quote the philosopher had given her: "Eros always triumphs over Thanatos. Keep hope alive, never forget it."

"Read it now!": the voice of intellectuals and artists

For sociologist Jean Viard, Edgar Morin was "a thinker and an actor" whose relationship between action and thought permeated his entire life, from the Resistance to his work on the yé-yé generation—he is said to have coined the term—to *The Method* and his later books on ecology and civilizational change. "Read him now!" he urged on franceinfo. For Éric Fottorino, he was "someone who loved life more than anything" and whose "great struggle was to ensure that all disciplines were connected in a grand conversation." Juliette Binoche called him a "hero" on France Inter: "He helped us understand our society and who we are. We need minds as clear as his."