Michel-Serres meetings: Nolwenn Pétoin, philosophy teacher at the Palissy high school in Agen, and “frantic pacifism”

“Whether it’s me or my students, we have pressure from both sides! » laughs Nolwenn Pétoin. A philosophy teacher at the Bernard-Palissy high school in Agen, she is used to involving her flock in the Michel-Serres Meetings every year. But in this 2024 edition, for the first time, the teacher will also be on stage, or rather in the Salle des Illustres, at the town hall. On Saturday, she will host a conference around the work of Michel Serres, “The World War”.

“In their program, my specialty philosophy students have a theme around history and violence, we worked on the text by Michel Serres beforehand,” she says. “For my speech on Saturday, an extract from the work was selected. It will be distributed to the public and read by Jean-Pierre Arbon, poet and singer. I will be alongside Martin Legros, editor-in-chief of Philosophie Magazine. We will clarify the text of Michel Serres, provide an explanation of the reading. »

Refusal to carry the sword

With peace as the theme of the Meetings, “The World War” is a gold mine for the speakers. For Nolwenn Pétoin, it is a sort of work of drawers. Everyone has references to the two conflicts that marked the 20th century, but Michel Serres tackled a war in the broader sense of the term.

“He made reference to the horrors of war, he lived through the Second World War, and for the anecdote, he always refused to wear the academic sword,” continues Nolwenn Pétoin. “In him, I discovered a frenzied pacifism. But in his book, he moves away from this “two-player game” that is war, to instead describe the fight that humans wage against the world, of which we do not realize. »

By studying Man’s vulnerability to the world, Michel Serres showed how we have learned lessons from the dangers of nature. We have learned to master the perils of the world, but this mastery turns against us.

“He shows us our own limits, while managing to remain optimistic, and that surprises high school students. They become aware that we are scuttling ourselves, which makes them aware of the battles to be fought. Michel Serres’ style is not easy, he has a language of his own… By studying this text, we understand it from a pacifist point of view. »

Through his language, his love of peace and his optimism against all odds, Michel Serres managed to radiate hope and transmit it. With his favorite weapons, thought and writing, he revealed all the faces of the fight, which Nolwenn Pétoin will describe during his conference.