The Philosophical Encounters of Monaco – Discussion on the theme “C’était mieux avant ?”

The 2024-2025 conference season, organized by the Philosophical Encounters of Monaco, will begin with a discussion on the theme “C’était mieux avant ? ” led by philosopher Robert Maggiori, a founding member of the Philosophical Encounters, along with guest speakers Cynthia Fleury, philosopher and psychoanalyst, and David Djaïz, senior civil servant and essayist.

For a long time, people advocated forgetting the past to build a bright future. However, today, we are witnessing a shift: rather than turning toward an uncertain and threatening future, people seek refuge in the past, reinvented or idealized, as Zygmunt Bauman wrote in his essay “Retrotopia” with the concept of “retrotopia,” which describes this retreat into and idealization of the past. This backward-looking mentality, reflected in political discourse, contrasts with the idea of progress, which aims to constantly improve the present. Although major challenges like climate change or social fractures darken the future, nostalgia for the past seems to answer a form of insecurity about the future.
However, this nostalgia raises the question: Which past are we referring to? A past marked by slavery, inequality, and epidemics? Does looking to the past really offer a better perspective? Perhaps only through the lens of individual youthful nostalgia.

Princess Grace Theatre,
12 avenue d’Ostende, Monaco
From 7:00 PM to 9:00 PM
Program and reservations: www.philomonaco.com
Email: reservation@philomonaco.com
Tickets available on-site one hour before the event (depending on availability).