On March 10, the French academic publisher Presses Universitaires de France (PUF) announced that it would suspend the release of Face à l’obscurantisme woke (In the Face of Woke Obscurantism), a book co-authored by literature professor Xavier-Laurent Salvador, Emmanuelle Hénin, professor of comparative literature, and historian Pierre Vermeren. In its statement, PUF explained that “the necessary conditions for a calm and reasoned reception of this collective work are no longer in place,” citing what it described as an increasingly hostile political climate. The book, which characterizes wokism as a “militant pseudo-science” emerging from university humanities departments, contends that this ideology suppresses dissent through intimidation and generates a pervasive “moral panic.” The authors denounced the suspension as an act of “blacklisting” without legitimate justification.
In an era where academic rigor is increasingly tested by ideological currents – from wokeism and intersectionality to decolonialism – it is more necessary than ever to safeguard spaces for serious intellectual inquiry and free thought. The controversy surrounding the suspension of Face à l’obscurantisme woke underscores precisely this challenge: how to defend knowledge against ideological pressures that seek to constrain debate.
To address these concerns, Mathias Corvinus Collegium is pleased to welcome Xavier-Laurent Salvador – co-editor of the book and editor-in-chief of the L'Observatory of Decolonialism – for a presentation of the volume. The event will also feature a panel discussion with Mr. Salvador, Rodrigo Ballester, Head of the Center for European Studies, and Leonardo Orlando, Visiting Fellow at MCC and contributor to the book with a chapter entitled “L’université contre Darwin. Le déni de la biologie et de la théorie de l’évolution dans les sciences sociales (The University versus Darwin. The Denial of Biology and Evolutionary Theory in the Social Sciences)."
The event will be held in English.
Program:
16:00 – Registration
16:30 – Opening Remarks
16:45 – Book Presentation: In the Face of Woke Obscurantism
17:15 – Panel Discussion: Ideology vs Knowledge: Is Academia Dying in the West?
Xavier-Laurent Salvador, Professor of Modern Literature, PhD
Rodrigo Ballester, Head of the Center for European Studies at MCC
Leonardo Orlando, Visiting Fellow at MCC
Moderator: Yann Caspar, Researcher at the Center for European Studies at MCC
18:30 – Conclusion of Event
The event is free to attend, but requires prior registration:
https://mcc.hu/esemenyregisztracio/the-future-of-academia-in-the-face-of-woke-obscurantism
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