1001Philosophers

Maurice Blanchot 1907 – 2003

Maurice Blanchot (1907 – 2003) was a French philosopher of the Contemporary era, associated with Post-Structuralism and Continental Philosophy.

Maurice Blanchot was a French writer, literary theorist, and philosopher whose work occupies a singular place in twentieth-century French thought. After early right-wing political journalism that he later disavowed, he lived a famously reclusive life devoted to the writing of fiction, criticism, and philosophical essay. The Space of Literature, The Infinite Conversation, and The Writing of the Disaster develop a sustained meditation on writing, death, and the relation to the Other. His friendships with Levinas, Bataille, and Foucault placed him at the heart of postwar French thought.

Key facts

Nationality
French
Era
Contemporary
Movements
Post-Structuralism, Continental Philosophy

Selected quotes

  • Attributed to Maurice Blanchot:

    “Writing is the wakefulness of the disaster.”

  • Attributed to Maurice Blanchot:

    “Literature begins where literature becomes a question.”

  • Attributed to Maurice Blanchot:

    “The work demands of the writer that he lose everything he might construe as his own.”

  • Attributed to Maurice Blanchot:

    “Death is the impossibility of every possibility.”

  • Attributed to Maurice Blanchot:

    “To respond to the other is to give what one does not have.”

Frequently asked about Maurice Blanchot

When did Maurice Blanchot live?
Maurice Blanchot was born in 1907 and died in 2003.
Where was Maurice Blanchot from?
Maurice Blanchot was a French philosopher of the Contemporary era.
What philosophical movements is Maurice Blanchot associated with?
Maurice Blanchot was associated with Post-Structuralism and Continental Philosophy.
What was Maurice Blanchot known for?
Maurice Blanchot was a French writer, literary theorist, and philosopher whose work occupies a singular place in twentieth-century French thought.
How many quotes are attributed to Maurice Blanchot?
There are 5 attributed quotations from Maurice Blanchot in the 1001Philosophers collection, organized by topic.