Saint-Simon Foundation
Encyclopedia
The Saint-Simon Foundation was a French
think tank
created in 1982 by the historian François Furet
. It gathered intellectuals and businessmen until its dissolving in 1999. It was a member of the The Hague Club
international network of think-tanks. Many of its former members have now joined Le Siècle
circle.
, the Saint-Simon
Foundation was created after the 1981 turn
marked by the election of the left's candidate François Mitterrand
to the presidency. Its aim was to create a social exchange network completely independent from political clubs and university institutions.
The Saint-Simon Foundation supported democracy
and economic liberalism
, opposing "totalitarianism
." It wanted to create bridges between Universities, business and public administration. Pierre Nora
defined it as the "meeting of people who had means [i.e. money] with those who had ideas" (« la rencontre de gens qui avaient des moyens avec des gens qui avaient des idées »).
The think-tank published various memos and studies. In the 1990s, it was increasingly subjected to criticisms, alleging an excessive and somehow covert influence on French politics. Alain Minc
called this club the "circle of Reason" (le cercle de la raison), while its opponents spoke of the "circle of the single thought" (cercle de la pensée unique
).
Other members included CEOs such as Jean-Louis Beffa
, Antoine Riboud, Christian Blanc
, Jean-Luc Lagardère
, Francis Mer
, journalists such as Jean Daniel
, Laurent Joffrin, Serge July
, Christine Ockrent
, Anne Sinclair
, Franz-Olivier Giesbert
and Jean-Pierre Elkabbach
or the intellectual Luc Ferry
.
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
think tank
Think tank
A think tank is an organization that conducts research and engages in advocacy in areas such as social policy, political strategy, economics, military, and technology issues. Most think tanks are non-profit organizations, which some countries such as the United States and Canada provide with tax...
created in 1982 by the historian François Furet
François Furet
-Biography:Born in Paris on 27 March 1927, into a wealthy family, François Furet was a brilliant student who graduated from the Sorbonne with the highest honors and soon decided on a life of research, teaching and writing. He received his education at the Lycée Janson de Sailly and at the faculty...
. It gathered intellectuals and businessmen until its dissolving in 1999. It was a member of the The Hague Club
The Hague Club
The Hague Club is formed by the Chief Executives of ca 30 major private Foundations in Europe. It meets once a year to discuss informally the role of philanthropy and management of Foundations...
international network of think-tanks. Many of its former members have now joined Le Siècle
Le Siècle (think tank)
Le Siècle is an elitist bi-partisan think tank in France. Its members are French intellectuals, politicians, chief executives, and artists.-Overview:It was founded by Georges Bérard-Quélin in 1944....
circle.
History
According to the political scientist Pierre RosanvallonPierre Rosanvallon
Pierre Rosanvallon is a French intellectual and historian, named professor at the Collège de France in 2001. He holds there the chair in the modern and contemporary history of the political. His works are dedicated to the history of democracy, French political history, the role of the state and...
, the Saint-Simon
Claude Henri de Rouvroy, comte de Saint-Simon
Claude Henri de Rouvroy, comte de Saint-Simon, often referred to as Henri de Saint-Simon was a French early socialist theorist whose thought influenced the foundations of various 19th century philosophies; perhaps most notably Marxism, positivism and the discipline of sociology...
Foundation was created after the 1981 turn
French presidential election, 1981
The French presidential election of 1981 took place on 10 May 1981, giving the presidency of France to François Mitterrand, the first Socialist president of the Fifth Republic....
marked by the election of the left's candidate François Mitterrand
François Mitterrand
François Maurice Adrien Marie Mitterrand was the 21st President of the French Republic and ex officio Co-Prince of Andorra, serving from 1981 until 1995. He is the longest-serving President of France and, as leader of the Socialist Party, the only figure from the left so far elected President...
to the presidency. Its aim was to create a social exchange network completely independent from political clubs and university institutions.
The Saint-Simon Foundation supported democracy
Democracy
Democracy is generally defined as a form of government in which all adult citizens have an equal say in the decisions that affect their lives. Ideally, this includes equal participation in the proposal, development and passage of legislation into law...
and economic liberalism
Economic liberalism
Economic liberalism is the ideological belief in giving all people economic freedom, and as such granting people with more basis to control their own lives and make their own mistakes. It is an economic philosophy that supports and promotes individual liberty and choice in economic matters and...
, opposing "totalitarianism
Totalitarianism
Totalitarianism is a political system where the state recognizes no limits to its authority and strives to regulate every aspect of public and private life wherever feasible...
." It wanted to create bridges between Universities, business and public administration. Pierre Nora
Pierre Nora
Pierre Nora is a French historian of Jewish descent. Elected to the French Academy on June 7, 2001, he is known for his work on French identity and memory. His name is associated with the study of new history...
defined it as the "meeting of people who had means [i.e. money] with those who had ideas" (« la rencontre de gens qui avaient des moyens avec des gens qui avaient des idées »).
The think-tank published various memos and studies. In the 1990s, it was increasingly subjected to criticisms, alleging an excessive and somehow covert influence on French politics. Alain Minc
Alain Minc
Alain Minc is a French businessman, political advisor, and author.-Biography:Alain Minc was born in Paris on April 15, 1949. He is a graduate of the École nationale supérieure des mines de Paris and the École nationale d'administration....
called this club the "circle of Reason" (le cercle de la raison), while its opponents spoke of the "circle of the single thought" (cercle de la pensée unique
Pensée unique
The expression "pensée unique" describes the claimed supremacy of neoliberalism as an ideology.-Concept and background understanding:...
).
Members
- President: Roger Fauroux and François FuretFrançois Furet-Biography:Born in Paris on 27 March 1927, into a wealthy family, François Furet was a brilliant student who graduated from the Sorbonne with the highest honors and soon decided on a life of research, teaching and writing. He received his education at the Lycée Janson de Sailly and at the faculty...
- Secretary: Pierre RosanvallonPierre RosanvallonPierre Rosanvallon is a French intellectual and historian, named professor at the Collège de France in 2001. He holds there the chair in the modern and contemporary history of the political. His works are dedicated to the history of democracy, French political history, the role of the state and...
- Treasurer: Alain MincAlain MincAlain Minc is a French businessman, political advisor, and author.-Biography:Alain Minc was born in Paris on April 15, 1949. He is a graduate of the École nationale supérieure des mines de Paris and the École nationale d'administration....
- Administrators: Jean-Claude Casanova, Jean Peyrelevade and Yves Sabouret
Other members included CEOs such as Jean-Louis Beffa
Jean-Louis Beffa
Jean-Louis Beffa is a French businessman. He was the chairman and CEO of Saint-Gobain, he is now the Chairman of the board of Saint-Gobain, and a former member of the Saint-Simon Foundation think-tank....
, Antoine Riboud, Christian Blanc
Christian Blanc
Christian Blanc is a French politician.He was a member of the Saint-Simon Foundation think-tank. Blanc was elected to the National Assembly to represent the third district of Yvelines on 15 December 2002, replacing Anne-Marie Idrac, who had stood down to on nomination to become president of the RATP...
, Jean-Luc Lagardère
Jean-Luc Lagardère
Jean-Luc Lagardère was a major French businessman, CEO of the Lagardere Group, one of the largest French conglomerates....
, Francis Mer
Francis Mer
Francis Mer is a French businessman, industrialist and politician. A former alumnus of the Ecole polytechnique, he was hired in 1970 by the Saint-Gobain group. In 1982, he became chairman of the board of Pont-à-Mousson SA...
, journalists such as Jean Daniel
Jean Daniel
Jean Daniel, is an Algerian-born French-Jewish journalist and author. He is the founder and executive editor of Le Nouvel Observateur weekly.Daniel is a Jewish humanist in the venerable tradition of the French Left...
, Laurent Joffrin, Serge July
Serge July
Serge July is a French journalist, founder of the daily Libération, and a prominent figure in French politics from the 1970s through the 1990s.-References:...
, Christine Ockrent
Christine Ockrent
Christine Ockrent is a Belgian journalist whose career has principally centered on French television.Daughter of Belgian diplomat Charles Ockrent, she was born in Brussels, Belgium. She graduated from Institut d'Études Politiques de Paris in 1965. She worked for American television and...
, Anne Sinclair
Anne Sinclair
Anne Sinclair is a French television and radio interviewer who hosted one of the most popular political shows for more than thirteen years on TF1, the largest European private TV channel. She is heiress to much of the fortune of her maternal grandfather, Paul Rosenberg...
, Franz-Olivier Giesbert
Franz-Olivier Giesbert
Franz-Olivier Giesbert is a French journalist and author. He worked for Le Figaro from 1988 to 2000 and Le Point starting in 2000.-Novels:*Un très grand amour, 2010, éditions Gallimard...
and Jean-Pierre Elkabbach
Jean-Pierre Elkabbach
-Biography:Elkabbach was born in Oran in 1937, then the prefecture of the département Oran in French Algeria. He began his journalistic career in 1960 as a radio correspondent in Algiers, but having taken part in the strikes of May 1968 he was sidelined and sent to Toulouse. Elkabbach would later...
or the intellectual Luc Ferry
Luc Ferry
Luc Ferry is a French philosopher and a notable proponent of Secular Humanism. He is a former member of the Saint-Simon Foundation think-tank....
.
External links
- Vincent Laurent, Les architectes du social-libéralisme, Le Monde diplomatiqueLe Monde diplomatiqueLe Monde diplomatique is a monthly newspaper offering analysis and opinion on politics, culture, and current affairs. It was first created mainly for a diplomatic audience as its name implies...
, September 1998