Michel De Certeau Quotes

A collection of quotes by Michel De Certeau.

Michel de Certeau (1925-1986) was a French philosopher, theologian, and scholar known for his influential contributions to the fields of history, sociology, and cultural studies. Born in Chambéry, France, de Certeau studied at the Jesuit Seminary and later pursued religious training, ultimately joining the Society of Jesus. After being ordained as a Jesuit priest, he earned his doctorate in theology from the Sorbonne.

De Certeau's work focused on the complex relationship between individuals and society, particularly in the context of everyday life and cultural practices. He emphasized the ways in which individuals actively resist and engage with dominant power structures in their daily activities, challenging the notion of passive consumers and highlighting the agency of marginalized groups.

One of de Certeau's most notable works is "The Practice of Everyday Life", originally published in French in 1980. In this influential book, he analyzed the tactics employed by individuals to subvert or navigate the constraints imposed by societal norms and institutions. He argued that ordinary individuals actively appropriate and reinterpret cultural and social codes, revealing the diverse ways in which people make meaning and exercise their power within the constraints of a larger system.

De Certeau's interdisciplinary approach, combining elements of philosophy, history, sociology, and anthropology, has fueled his enduring impact in various academic fields. His work continues to shape critical theories of everyday life, consumption, and cultural practices, making him a prominent figure in the intellectual landscape of the late 20th century.

Along with the lazy man... the dying man is the immoral man:

Along with the lazy man... the dying man is the immoral man: the former, a subject that does not work; the latter, an object that no longer even makes itself available to be worked on by others.

Michel De Certeau

Death

The sick man must follow his illness to the place where it i

The sick man must follow his illness to the place where it is treated. He is set aside in one of the technical and secret zones (hospitals, prisons, refuse dumps) which relieve the living of everything that might hinder the chain of production and consumption, and which repair and select what can be sent back up to the surface of progress.

Michel De Certeau

Hospitals

One is a socialist because one used to be one, no longer goi

One is a socialist because one used to be one, no longer going to demonstrations, attending meetings, sending in one's dues, in short, without paying.

Michel De Certeau

Communism

The media transforms the great silence of things into its op

The media transforms the great silence of things into its opposite. Formerly constituting a secret, the real now talks constantly. News reports, information, statistics, and surveys are everywhere.

Michel De Certeau

Media

The only freedom supposed to be left to the masses is that o

The only freedom supposed to be left to the masses is that of grazing on the ration of simulacra the system distributes to each individual.

Michel De Certeau

Masses

Political organizations have slowly substituted themselves f

Political organizations have slowly substituted themselves for the Churches as the places for believing practices. Politics has once again become religious.

Michel De Certeau

Politics