Lucien Febvre (Nancy, July 22nd 1878 - Saint-Love (the Jura), 1956) is a historian French which had a strong influence on the evolution of this discipline in particular through the school of Annals that it founded with Marc Bloch.

Biography

Resulting from an inhabitant of Franche-Compt3e family, Lucien Febvre integrates the National university in 1899 after one year of service military. He then chooses to fall under the Section of the Letters of ENS, so much the obligations of the methodical history of the time appeared to him, with the Louis-the-Large Lycée, of his own consent, unbearable. This painful noviciate explains of good part future violence of the Master of the '' Annales '' towards “the history historisante” triumphing in this end over the 19th century.

Febvre collaborates as from 1906, under the direction of Henri Berr, with the Revue Synthesis and supports in 1911 a thesis of history, directed by Gustave Monod: Philippe II and the Franche-Comté . In this promising work for which it devotes several years of work - it is 33 years old with defense - Febvre affirms a daring adding up will. This sum is initially a “history political, religious and social” which renews the historical paradigm. Secondary but relatively notable detail, it rejects, in its presentation, the canonical organization of the theses of the time, the famous plan with drawers. Named in 1912 professor with the Faculty of Dijon, it teaches there the history and the art of the Burgundy.

Mobilized with the rank of sergeant in 1914, it finishes the war as captain. It obtains, with its demobilization, in 1919, a pulpit of modern history to the Faculté of Strasbourg, lately Frenchwoman, where its qualities, already recognized, must take part in the radiation and the prestige of the French university. Strasbourg represents until 1933 - date of its nomination to the Collège de France - one very fertile period for Lucien Febvre.

It there meets Marc Bloch, future collaborator and very close friend, and publishes in 1922 the Earth and the human evolution where it expresses his already old concern of the geography and its admiration for work of Vidal of Blache. It refutes the Déterminisme there sails at the time and forges about it on this occasion the term, now discussed by the researchers, of “possibilism” to qualify the step of its elder geographer.

In 1929, in Strasbourg, Febvre founds with Marc Bloch and of the academics of multiple horizons (of which the geographer disciple of Vidal, Albert Demangeon), the Annales of economic and social history , obvious result of its participation in the Revue synthesis . True profession of faith, this publication aims at gathering by the historical studies all the quantitative information available on these fields. More generally, the Annales have vocation to accommodate contributions of any nature on the study of the last centuries.

In its work, carried out face with the direction of the review, Febvre, specialist in the 16th century, explore collective mentalities, in analyzes often supported by a biographical study. Its first work, a destiny Martin Luther in 1928, meets a great echo in the academic world. It publishes finally, in particular during the period of Occupation several remarkable works: the problem of the unbelief in the 16th century. The religion of Rabelais (1942), Origène and of Périers or the enigma of Cymbalum Mundi (1942), Around Heptaméron: crowned love, love profanes (1944).

After the war, owner and founder of the Life section of the practical School of the high studies, Febvre assumes many responsibilities official and prestigious (UNESCO, Academy of Science morals and political, direction of the Cahiers of the world History etc) These occupations do not prevent it from being devoted to the news Annales which reappeared in 1946 pennies a broader title which shows opening of the field of the history, then in complete renewal, and especially of the triumph in France of the historical school that it contributed to create: Yearly, Economies, Companies, Civilizations . Until its death, in 1956, Febvre will bring approximately 500 various articles and reports there.

The historian

Lucien Febvre wants to register the history in the field of the Social sciences, by breaking the spirit of speciality, by promoting multidisciplinarity, the exchanges between researchers. Its project is that of a “total” history , kind of crossroads scientific of all the social sciences, bringing a total knowledge of the reality of the past.

He thus refuses to conceive the history as the recording of a succession of events starting from the only written documents as preach it Charles-Victor Langlois and Charles Seignobos in their famous handbook published in 1898, Introduction to the historical studies . For him, the sources are multiple. One should not hesitate to call upon all close sciences who can contribute to widen the glance of the researcher, such as the Linguistique or the Ethnologie. Febvre also recommends not to isolate the aspects from social reality, but to highlight their interactions.

Febvre criticizes “the history historisante” of its predecessors, which is summarized with the facts concerning the " Large Hommes" , consisted of biographies, dates, diplomatic facts, battles, of official files, centered over time runs and the event. This unbalanced vision is unaware of the social movements structured on the " time long" , the elements of the human life which however constitute an essential share of the re-creation of the last one - “what really occurred”, wie be eigentlich gewesen according to the famous formula of von Ranke - finality which it will attempt to defend throughout its life.

For as much, Febvre however never wrote a true theory of the history. More concrete in its approaches, it defends initially a methodological “revolution” by the meeting of all the social sciences by examining the man “apprehended within the groups of which he is member” , creed many times marked in its writings and initially in its collection Combat for the history published in 1953 a few years before its death.

If this battle for a new History could appear dubious at the beginning of the 20th century, professional successes and the posterity of its work offered to Lucien Febvre a victory bright over its precursors.

Works

• Philippe II and the Franche-Comté. Study of political, religious and social history , Paris, Honore Champion, 1911,808 p.
• Notes and documents on the Reform and the Enquiry in Franche-Comté , Paris, 1911,336 p.
• History of the Franche-Comté , Paris, Boivin, 1912,260 p.
• Earth and the human evolution , Paris, Albin Michel, “evolution of Humanity”, 1922.
• a Destiny. Martin Luther , Paris, University Presses of France, 1928.
• Civilization. Evolution of a word and a group of ideas , Paris, Rebirth of the book, 1930,56 p.
• the Rhine. Problems of history and economy , Paris, Armand Colin, 1935.
• (to dir.): French Encyclopedia , 11 volumes published of 1935 to 1940.
• the Problem of the unbelief in the 16th century. The religion of Rabelais , Paris, Albin Michel, coll evolution of humanity, 1942,548 p.
• Origène and Of Périers or the enigma of Cymbalum Mundi , Paris-Geneva, Droz, 1942,144 p.
• Around Heptaméron. Crowned love, love profanes , Paris, Gallimard, 1944,300 p.
• the Traditional ones of freedom: Michelet , Lausanne, Milked, 1946,162 p.
• Engagements for the history , Paris, Armand Colin, 1953,456 p.
• In the middle monk of the 16th century , Paris, SEVPEN, 1957,359 p.
• For a history with whole share , Paris, SEVPEN, 1962,860 p.

Sources

• G. Boob, H. Martin, historical Schools , Threshold, 1983.

• Bertrand Müller, Bibliography of work of Lucien Febvre , Armand Colin, 1990.