It was in the social sector that Bruno Marchand first launched himself, notably with the Quebec Suicide Prevention Association from 2008 to 2014, then as CEO of a branch of Centraide Quebec. In 2021, after an incredible election, he was appointed mayor of Quebec.
Published at 7:30 a.m.
His studies
When he enrolled in the philosophy degree at Laval University, Bruno Marchand had no particular professional goals. But he had a feeling that he would emerge better armed. “I wanted to learn reflection, questions about Man, about oneself, the meaning of life. I had this fundamental need to work stone, my own stone, a tool that would be acquired forever, and then deploy it, regardless of the discipline,” confides the mayor of Quebec. Subsequently, he trained in social work. “But philosophy has always followed me closely, both professionally and personally. »
What philosophy gave him
“An extraordinary light,” he says, “not so much in its answers as in the questions and reflections it brings. » He specifies that he uses it daily, as a sort of background intellectual cog. For example, when making a political decision which will not be unanimous. Such an act brings him back to his own sense of morality and duty, to question the motivations that sustain him. “This mental process behind the decision comes from philosophy, from the ability to determine one’s framework of thinking, motivation, and then the ability to explain it. »
Every day, when I give a press briefing, philosophy serves me. Every day, when I answer questions from citizens, it helps me. Not to quote a philosopher, but to use in this dialectic, this exchange with the citizen, the elements which allow a constructive and evolving dialogue.
Bruno Marchand, mayor of Quebec
The mayor is inspired in his relationships with others by maieutics – Socrates’ technique aimed at bringing out and forging knowledge through dialogue.
Mr. Marchand also evokes the current of philosophy for children, on which he has studied and from which he draws inspiration to guide his meetings with the public and working groups of elected officials. Finally, discipline supported him in personal decisions, whether the education of his children or his involvement in politics. “By asking questions about our motivations, we do not take the same actions. Philosophy is what underlies action. »
A philosophical inspiration
Plato, Socrates, Aristotle, Descartes, Matthew Lipman… his spectrum of influences is wide. The mayor, however, quoted us this declaration from Tocqueville, which he finds more relevant than ever in view of the current international political context: “Democracy is naturally threatened, Plato already underlined this, by the speeches of demagogues, whose citizens prefer the lies to the demand for truth, just as they sacrifice, when difficulties arise, the free exercise of freedom and citizenship, which require courage and responsibility from everyone, to the apparent security of authoritarianism. »
