Abstract

For nearly four decades French philosopher René Schérer has been exploring the theme of utopia beneath the radar of what has come to be known in America as “French theory.” In the 1970s, his Fourier-inspired writings on education, childhood, and desire formed part of the intellectual backdrop for France’s sexual liberation movements. In the same utopian vein, Schérer has turned his attention in recent years to the question of hospitality and its vanishing place in the modern world. This essay introduces his work to an English-speaking audience, prefacing the first translation of excerpts of his recent book Hospitalités, and includes a list of some ofhis important works of the past thirty years.