Maurice Halbwachs
Encyclopedia
Maurice Halbwachs was a French philosopher and sociologist known for developing the concept of collective memory
.
Born in Reims
, Halbwachs attended the École Normale Supérieure
in Paris. There he studied philosophy with Henri Bergson
, who influenced him greatly. He aggregated
in Philosophy in 1901. He taught at various lycées before traveling to Germany in 1904, where he studied at the University of Göttingen and worked on cataloging Leibniz's papers. He was nominated to co-edit an edition of Leibniz's work which never came to fruition. He returned to France in 1905 where he met Émile Durkheim
and became interested in sociology. He soon joined the editorial board of L'Année Sociologique
, where he worked with François Simiand
editing the Economics
and Statistics
section. In 1909, he returned to Germany to study Marxism
and economics in Berlin.
Throughout World War I, Halbwachs worked at the War Ministry. Shortly after the end of the war, he became professor of sociology
and pedagogy
at the University of Strasbourg
. He remained in this position for over a decade, taking leave for a year as a visiting professor at the University of Chicago
, when he was called to the Sorbonne
in 1935. There he taught sociology and worked closely with Marcel Mauss
and served as the editor of Annales de Sociologie, the successor journal to L'Année Sociologique. In 1944 he received one of France's highest honors, a chair at the Collège de France
in Social Psychology
. A longtime socialist, Halbwachs was detained by the Gestapo
after the Nazi
occupation of Paris and deported to Buchenwald, where he died of dysentery in 1945.
Part of his books were offered by his widow to the library of the Centre d'études sociologiques and are now held at the Human and Social Sciences Library Paris Descartes-CNRS
.
and that this memory is dependent upon the 'cadre' or framework within which a group is situated in a society. Thus, there is not only an individual memory, but also a group memory that exists outside of and lives beyond the individual. Consequently, the individual's understanding of the past is strongly linked to this group consciousness.
Halbwachs also wrote an important book on suicide, Les Causes du suicide, 1930 (The Causes of Suicide). In this book he followed the footsteps of his mentor Émile Durkheim
, and expanded and elaborated upon the former's theories on suicide.
Collective memory
Collective memory refers to the shared pool of information held in the memories of two or more members of a group, and was coined by the philosopher and sociologist Maurice Halbwachs. Collective memory can be shared, passed on and constructed by groups both small and large...
.
Born in Reims
Reims
Reims , a city in the Champagne-Ardenne region of France, lies east-northeast of Paris. Founded by the Gauls, it became a major city during the period of the Roman Empire....
, Halbwachs attended the École Normale Supérieure
École Normale Supérieure
The École normale supérieure is one of the most prestigious French grandes écoles...
in Paris. There he studied philosophy with Henri Bergson
Henri Bergson
Henri-Louis Bergson was a major French philosopher, influential especially in the first half of the 20th century. Bergson convinced many thinkers that immediate experience and intuition are more significant than rationalism and science for understanding reality.He was awarded the 1927 Nobel Prize...
, who influenced him greatly. He aggregated
Agrégation
In France, the agrégation is a civil service competitive examination for some positions in the public education system. The laureates are known as agrégés...
in Philosophy in 1901. He taught at various lycées before traveling to Germany in 1904, where he studied at the University of Göttingen and worked on cataloging Leibniz's papers. He was nominated to co-edit an edition of Leibniz's work which never came to fruition. He returned to France in 1905 where he met Émile Durkheim
Émile Durkheim
David Émile Durkheim was a French sociologist. He formally established the academic discipline and, with Karl Marx and Max Weber, is commonly cited as the principal architect of modern social science and father of sociology.Much of Durkheim's work was concerned with how societies could maintain...
and became interested in sociology. He soon joined the editorial board of L'Année Sociologique
L'Année Sociologique
L'Année Sociologique is a sociology journal founded in 1898 by Émile Durkheim, who also served as its editor. It was published annually until 1925, and returned to publication as Annales Sociologiques between 1934 and 1942...
, where he worked with François Simiand
François Simiand
François Simiand was a French sociologist and economist best known as a participant in the Année Sociologique. As a member of the French Historical School of economics, Simiand predicated a rigorous factual and statistical basis for theoretical models and policies...
editing the Economics
Economics
Economics is the social science that analyzes the production, distribution, and consumption of goods and services. The term economics comes from the Ancient Greek from + , hence "rules of the house"...
and Statistics
Statistics
Statistics is the study of the collection, organization, analysis, and interpretation of data. It deals with all aspects of this, including the planning of data collection in terms of the design of surveys and experiments....
section. In 1909, he returned to Germany to study Marxism
Marxism
Marxism is an economic and sociopolitical worldview and method of socioeconomic inquiry that centers upon a materialist interpretation of history, a dialectical view of social change, and an analysis and critique of the development of capitalism. Marxism was pioneered in the early to mid 19th...
and economics in Berlin.
Throughout World War I, Halbwachs worked at the War Ministry. Shortly after the end of the war, he became professor of sociology
Sociology
Sociology is the study of society. It is a social science—a term with which it is sometimes synonymous—which uses various methods of empirical investigation and critical analysis to develop a body of knowledge about human social activity...
and pedagogy
Pedagogy
Pedagogy is the study of being a teacher or the process of teaching. The term generally refers to strategies of instruction, or a style of instruction....
at the University of Strasbourg
University of Strasbourg
The University of Strasbourg in Strasbourg, Alsace, France, is the largest university in France, with about 43,000 students and over 4,000 researchers....
. He remained in this position for over a decade, taking leave for a year as a visiting professor at the University of Chicago
University of Chicago
The University of Chicago is a private research university in Chicago, Illinois, USA. It was founded by the American Baptist Education Society with a donation from oil magnate and philanthropist John D. Rockefeller and incorporated in 1890...
, when he was called to the Sorbonne
University of Paris
The University of Paris was a university located in Paris, France and one of the earliest to be established in Europe. It was founded in the mid 12th century, and officially recognized as a university probably between 1160 and 1250...
in 1935. There he taught sociology and worked closely with Marcel Mauss
Marcel Mauss
Marcel Mauss was a French sociologist. The nephew of Émile Durkheim, Mauss' academic work traversed the boundaries between sociology and anthropology...
and served as the editor of Annales de Sociologie, the successor journal to L'Année Sociologique. In 1944 he received one of France's highest honors, a chair at the Collège de France
Collège de France
The Collège de France is a higher education and research establishment located in Paris, France, in the 5th arrondissement, or Latin Quarter, across the street from the historical campus of La Sorbonne at the intersection of Rue Saint-Jacques and Rue des Écoles...
in Social Psychology
Social psychology
Social psychology is the scientific study of how people's thoughts, feelings, and behaviors are influenced by the actual, imagined, or implied presence of others. By this definition, scientific refers to the empirical method of investigation. The terms thoughts, feelings, and behaviors include all...
. A longtime socialist, Halbwachs was detained by the Gestapo
Gestapo
The Gestapo was the official secret police of Nazi Germany. Beginning on 20 April 1934, it was under the administration of the SS leader Heinrich Himmler in his position as Chief of German Police...
after the Nazi
Nazism
Nazism, the common short form name of National Socialism was the ideology and practice of the Nazi Party and of Nazi Germany...
occupation of Paris and deported to Buchenwald, where he died of dysentery in 1945.
Part of his books were offered by his widow to the library of the Centre d'études sociologiques and are now held at the Human and Social Sciences Library Paris Descartes-CNRS
Human and Social Sciences Library Paris Descartes-CNRS
The Human and Social Sciences Library Paris Descartes-CNRS is one of the most important French libraries concerning sociology, linguistics and science education...
.
Main ideas
Halbwachs' most important contribution to the field of sociology came in his book La Mémoire collective, 1950 (On Collective Memory), in which he advanced the thesis that a society can have a collective memoryCollective memory
Collective memory refers to the shared pool of information held in the memories of two or more members of a group, and was coined by the philosopher and sociologist Maurice Halbwachs. Collective memory can be shared, passed on and constructed by groups both small and large...
and that this memory is dependent upon the 'cadre' or framework within which a group is situated in a society. Thus, there is not only an individual memory, but also a group memory that exists outside of and lives beyond the individual. Consequently, the individual's understanding of the past is strongly linked to this group consciousness.
Halbwachs also wrote an important book on suicide, Les Causes du suicide, 1930 (The Causes of Suicide). In this book he followed the footsteps of his mentor Émile Durkheim
Émile Durkheim
David Émile Durkheim was a French sociologist. He formally established the academic discipline and, with Karl Marx and Max Weber, is commonly cited as the principal architect of modern social science and father of sociology.Much of Durkheim's work was concerned with how societies could maintain...
, and expanded and elaborated upon the former's theories on suicide.