Café Philo: A Summer with Pascal by Antoine Compagnon

About the book:

About the Speakers:

Antoine Compagnon is Blanche W. Knopf Professor of French and Comparative Literature at Columbia University and Professor Emeritus at the Collège de France. A member of the Académie française, he is one of France’s most respected literary scholars.

He is the author of numerous influential works, including Proust Between Two Centuries, Five Paradoxes of Modernity, and A Summer with Montaigne. His writings—translated into nineteen languages—bridge literature, philosophy, and intellectual history, making the ideas of great French thinkers accessible to a wide audience.

Pierre-Laurent Boulanger teaches philosophy at the International School of Boston. He previously taught for ten years in the Philosophy Department at Université Paris Nanterre, with a research focus on the philosophy of the body and sport.

Passionate about making philosophical ideas accessible and relevant, he brings a thoughtful and engaging approach to public discussion. His welcoming style invites participants of all backgrounds to explore life’s big questions through literature, conversation, and shared reflection.

This event launches our new series of philosophy-infused literary gatherings, with upcoming sessions on Tocqueville, Thoreau, and Sylvain Tesson.