Jean-Baptiste Brenet

Jean-Baptiste Brenet
Jean-Baptiste Brenet DSC A095400
Born (1972-01-25) January 25, 1972[1]
Marseille[1]
OccupationPhilosophy professor
Education
EducationLycée Thiers, Marseille
Lycée Henri IV, Paris
Alma materÉcole pratique des hautes études
Thesis
Alain de Libera
Philosophical work
InstitutionsParis Nanterre University
Paris 1 Panthéon-Sorbonne University
GRAMATA Centre
SPHère
Main interests
History of Philosophy
Medieval philosophy
Classical Arabic
Latin
Averroes
Philosophy of mind
Medieval metaphysics
Notable works
Le Dehors dedans. Averroès en peinture (Macula, 2025)
Que veut dire penser ? Arabes et latins (Rivages, 2022)

Jean-Baptiste Brenet is a French philosopher and historian of philosophy specializing in medieval Arabic and Latin thought, particularly the work and reception of Averroes.

Education

Brenet attended school at Lycée Thiers in Marseille, then Lycée Henri IV in the 5th arrondissement of Paris.[1]

Brenet is an agrégé in philosophy (1995).[1]

He holds a doctorate from l'École pratique des hautes études, 5th section, for which he wrote a thesis completed in 2002 under the direction of Alain de Libera and titled: Transferts du sujet. La noétique d'Averroès selon Jean de Jandun.[2]

In 2010, he completed his Habilitation to supervise research at the same institution, with Alain de Libera as guarantor. His habilitation was titled Averroès et la scolastique latine: Études d’histoire des philosophies médiévales arabe et latine.[1]

In 2006, he also received a certificat supérieur in Arabic studies from the Catholic University of Paris.[1]

Academic career

After obtaining his master’s degree in 1997, and while completing his doctorate and habilitation, he taught philosophy to secondary-school students in the classe terminale.[1]

From 2000 to 2002, he was seconded as a research fellow to the Centre d’études des religions du Livre of the CNRS in Villejuif.[1]

He was appointed lecturer at Paris Nanterre University in 2003 and remained there until 2011, when he became a professor at Paris 1 Panthéon-Sorbonne University, where he has been teaching ever since.[3] There, he directed the GRAMATA Centre (Research Group on Antiquity, the Middle Ages and Arabic Translation).[4] He is a member of the SPHère research laboratory.[5]

Scholarship

Brenet translates philosophical works from Arabic and Latin. With Christoph Grellard, he co-founded and co-edits Translatio. Philosophies médiévales, a series published by Librairie philosophique J. Vrin.[6][7] He also created and hosts “falsafa” a series of meetings (the Arabic Philosophy Rendezvous) devoted to Arabic philosophy at the Institut du monde arabe (Arabic World Institute.)[8][9][10]

Brenet’s research focuses principally on Averroes [Ibn Rushd (1126–1198)] as well as Andalusian philosophy.[11]

He studies them both to understand the main concepts of "falsafa," particularly as they relate to metaphysics, anthropology, and philosophy of mind as well as the transmission of this "Arab" philosophy in Latin thought, and more broadly in modern European thought.[12]

The core idea that underpins his work is that European modernity, contrary to conventional thought, does not begin with the Enlightment, but with the philosophies formed in ancient societies. In the presentation for his book Que veut dire penser? Arabes et Latins (Rivages, 2022), Brenet challenges the conventional account of European modernity as beginning with Descartes, arguing that it obscures earlier Arabic and Latin traditions of thought. Drawing on Aristotle’s comparison of the intellect to the hand as an “instrument of instruments,”[13][a] he describes thought as plural and composite—“a tool made of tools, a word filled with words.”[14] His intention, therefore, is to "philosophize in order not to let the darkness prevail."[15][b]

Awards and distinctions

His translation of L’Intellect: Compendium du livre De l’âme, by Averroes (Vrin, 2022) won the Ibn Khaldoun–Léopold Sédar Senghor Prize for Translation.

In 2023, he was decorated by the French Ministry of Culture with the rank of chevalière (chevalier, or knight) in the Ordre des Arts et des Lettres.[16] In the same year, he won the essay prize from Les Rencontres Philosophiques de Monaco (PhiloMonaco) for his work, Que veut dire penser ? Arabes et latins published in 2022 by Rivages.[17][13]

In 2025, he won the Prix Biguet from the Académie Française for his work, Le Dehors dedans. Averroès en peinture (Macula, 2025).[18]

Selected works

Translations

  • 1998: William of Auvergne, De l’âme, VII, 1–9. Paris: Vrin. ISBN 978-2-71161-368-7.
  • 2010: Thomas Aquinas, Les Créatures spirituelles. Introduction, translation, and notes by Brenet. Paris: Vrin. ISBN 978-2-71162-266-5.
  • 2013: Thomas Wylton, L’âme intellective. Berlin: De Gruyter. ISBN 978-3-11031-517-2.
  • 2016: Thomas Aquinas, L’Âme et le Corps: Somme de théologie, Ia, q. 75–76. Translation and notes by Brenet; introduction by Bernardo Carlos Bazán. Paris: Vrin. ISBN 978-2-71162-688-5.
  • 2018: Avicenna, Épître sur les prophéties. Introduction by Brenet and O. Lizzini; translated from Arabic and annotated by Brenet. Paris: Librairie philosophique J. Vrin. ISBN 978-2-71162-774-5.
  • 2021: Ibn Tufayl, Le Philosophe sans maître. Edition of the translation by Étienne-Marc Quatremère, with a preface and notes by Brenet. Paris: Payot & Rivages.
  • 2022: Averroes, L’Intellect: Compendium du livre De l’âme. Arabic text established and presented by D. Wirmer; introduction, translation, and notes by Brenet. Paris: Vrin. Recipient of the Ibn Khaldoun–Léopold Sédar Senghor Prize for Translation.
  • 2023: Averroes, Dieu et la connaissance du monde. Paris: Payot & Rivages.
  • 2024: A dossier of Brenet’s translations from medieval Latin authors, including Bonaventure, Thomas Aquinas, Siger of Brabant, Étienne Tempier, Giles of Rome, and Thaddeus of Parma, included in Le dehors dedans: Averroès en peinture. Paris: Macula.

Books

  • 2003: Transferts du sujet: La noétique d’Averroes selon Jean de Jandun. Paris: Vrin. ISBN 978-2-71161-653-4.
  • 2013: Les Possibilités de jonction: Averroès–Thomas Wylton. Berlin: De Gruyter. ISBN 978-3-11031-517-2.
  • 2015: Averroès l’inquiétant. Paris: Les Belles Lettres. ISBN 978-2-25144-533-5.
  • 2017: Je fantasme: Averroès et l’espace potentiel. Lagrasse: Verdier. ISBN 978-2-86432-909-1.
  • 2018: Intellect d’amour, with Giorgio Agamben. Lagrasse: Verdier.
  • 2019: Dante et l’averroïsme, with Alain de Libera and Irène Rosier-Catach. Paris: Collège de France and Les Belles Lettres.
  • 2020: Robinson de Guadix. Preface by Kamel Daoud. Lagrasse: Verdier.
  • 2022: Que veut dire penser? Arabes et Latins. Paris: Payot & Rivages.
  • 2023: Demain la veille. Lagrasse: Verdier.
  • 2024: Le dehors dedans: Averroès en peinture. Paris: Macula.

Edited volumes

  • 2007: Averroès et les averroïsmes juif et latin. Proceedings of an international conference held in Paris, 16–18 June 2005. Turnhout: Brepols. ISBN 978-2-50352-742-0.
  • 2018: Sujet libre: Pour Alain de Libera, edited with Laurent Cesalli. Paris: Vrin.
  • 2019: Studying Arabic Philosophy: Meaning, Limits and Challenges of a Modern Discipline, edited with Olga Lizzini. Paris: Librairie philosophique J. Vrin.

Selected articles

Notes

  1. ↑ He uses these words in an interview with journalist Anastasia Vécrin as well see Referenceas his own article for Libération. See also note (a). See References: Vécrin, 2023 and Brenet, 2024.
  2. ↑ This is the title of his article in Libération: Philosopher pour ne pas laisser gagner la noirceur, 15 June 2024, where he begins with a contemplation of contrast and proceeds to make the case for philosophy as the means by which we might discover what time has obscured.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 "CV Jean-Baptiste Brenet" (PDF). Paris 1 Panthéon-Sorbonne University (in French). January 2020. Archived from the original (PDF) on 9 July 2026. Retrieved 10 July 2026.
  2. ↑ Brenet, Jean-Baptiste (2002). "Transferts du sujet : la noétique d'Averroès selon Jean de Jandun". Theses.fr (in French). EPHE. Retrieved 10 July 2026.
  3. ↑ ""Ingenium", cité, Aristote, Coran… Le lexique d'Averroès expliqué par Jean-Baptiste Brenet". PhiloMag (in French). Philosophie Magazine. 15 January 2026. Archived from the original on 10 July 2026. Retrieved 11 July 2026.
  4. ↑ "Groupe de Recherches Antiquité, Moyen-Âge, Transmission Arabe". GRAMATA. Retrieved 10 July 2026.
  5. ↑ "BRENET Jean-Baptiste". SPHERE. Retrieved 10 July 2026.
  6. ↑ "Translatio". Vrin (in French). Librairie philosophique J. Vrin. Archived from the original on 11 February 2026. Retrieved 11 July 2026.
  7. ↑ "M. Jean-Baptiste Brenet". pantheonsorbonne.fr (in French). Retrieved 10 July 2026.
  8. ↑ "Falsafa The Arab Philosophy Rendezvous". SPHERE-science, philosophy, history. Retrieved 10 July 2026.
  9. ↑ "Le triomphe d'Averroès" [The triumph of Averroès]. PhiloMag. Philosophie Magazine. 23 October 2024. Archived from the original on 10 July 2026. Retrieved 11 July 2026. verroès en peinture, ce médiéviste, professeur de philosophie arabe à l'Université et organisateur de « Falsafa, les rendez-vous de la philosophie arabe » à l'Institut du monde arabe, est parti à la recherche des représentations du maître andalou dans la peinture.
  10. ↑ "Jean-Baptiste Brenet : "Dans la pensée arabe, la religion permet de communiquer les vérités philosophiques aux masses"" [Jean-Baptiste Brenet: “In Arab thought, religion allows philosophical truths to be communicated to the masses.”]. PhiloMag (in French). Philosophie Magazine. 4 October 2022. Archived from the original on 10 July 2026. Retrieved 11 July 2026.
  11. ↑ Roudinesco, Elisabeth (11 June 2015). "L'irréductible altérité d'Averroès". Le Monde (in French). Archived from the original on 21 November 2019. Retrieved 10 July 2026.
  12. ↑ Roudinesco, Elisabeth (23 February 2017). "Quand Averroès cogite, le monde change". Le Monde. Archived from the original on 26 February 2017. Retrieved 10 July 2026.
  13. 1 2 Vécrin, Anastasia (23 August 2023). "Philo Jean-Baptiste Brenet : «Ce n'est pas dans une grotte qu'on accède au savoir, mais en se laissant traverser par le sensible»" [Philosopher Jean-Baptiste Brenet: "It is not in a cave that one gains access to knowledge, but by allowing oneself to be permeated by the realm of the senses."]. Libération (in French). Retrieved 17 July 2026.
  14. ↑ Brenet, Jean-Baptiste (March 2022). Que veut dire penser ? Arabes et Latin. Paris: Payot & Rivages. p. 160. ISBN 978-2-7436-5582-2. Retrieved 10 July 2026.
  15. ↑ Brenet, Jean-Baptiste (15 June 2024). "Philosopher pour ne pas laisser gagner la noirceur, par Jean-Baptiste Brenet" [To philosophize in order not to let darkness prevail, by Jean-Baptiste Brenet]. Libération.fr (in French). Archived from the original on 10 September 2024. Retrieved 10 July 2026.
  16. ↑ "Nomination dans l'ordre des Arts et des Lettres – été 2023". Ministère de la culture (in French). 30 November 2023. Archived from the original on 15 December 2023. Retrieved 10 July 2026.
  17. ↑ "Jean-Baptiste Brenet Philosophe". Intervenants (in French). Les Rencontres Philosophiques de Monaco. Retrieved 10 July 2026.
  18. ↑ "Jean-Baptiste Brenet, lauréat du prix Biguet de l'Académie française". philosophie.pantheonsorbonne.fr (in French). 26 June 2025. Retrieved 10 July 2026.

See also

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