Après-Midi Recap

“Why do we fall in love with Paris?”

Have you ever wondered why we fall in love with the City of Light the moment we land? That’s what happened to me, and to everyone I know! I’ve considered lots of reasons, but never the one we explored with John Eigenauer, author of Paris and the Birth of Public Knowledge, at Après-Midi.

Perhaps, he says, the answer lies in centuries of how Parisians have treated knowledge. John is an intellectual historian and professor emeritus of philosophy at Taft College in California. He holds a doctorate in Interdisciplinary Studies from Syracuse University. His work has been published in variety of publications including the International Journal of Educational Reform, The Historian, The Harvard Theological Review, History of Intellectual Culture, American Atheist Magazine and The Huntington Library Quarterly.

He has spoken internationally on human rationality and offers workshops and seminars in the pedagogy of critical thinking. His book, Paris and the Birth of Public Knowledge, is available online. John lives in Vincennes and has a view from his apartment of the Chateau de Vincennes, where his hero, Denis Diderot was imprisoned for writing about forbidden topics.

John filled both hours with his brilliant lecture and interactive session. It made a big splash! Before people left they commented, “Best one ever! Loved John’s lecture.”

You can view the entire presentation on our YouTube channel.

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