Maurice Godelier is a Anthropologue French, born on February 28th, 1934 with Cambrai.

Course

Entered first with the National university of Saint-Cloud, it aggregate of Philosophie, laid off in Psychologie and is laid off in modern letters. It enters to the practical École of the high studies in the capacity as chief of work near Fernand Braudel, then becomes lecturer of Claude Lévi-Strauss, then research director in Anthropologie with the Collège de France. In 1975, it is named director of studies to the École of the high studies in social sciences.

The ground on which it carries out its research founders in anthropology is the New Guinea in New Guinea. It studies there during several voyages people which it characterizes as being without class and State, the Baruyas.

Contributions to the organization of research

In 1981, Jean-Pierre Chevènement then Ministre for research invites it to contribute to the reform of research in social sciences to CNRS. Maurice Godelier organizes meetings mobilizing the whole of the disciplines (the history, anthropology, sociology, psychology, linguistics, economy, for the principal ones) in order to carry out an assessment. He leads to a bulky report/ratio in two volumes, the social sciences and company in France. Analyzes and proposals for a new policy . He proposed there creation at the CNRS of a department “Social sciences and company” and two new commissions on linguistics and political sciences, proposals which all were accepted and implemented. On the other hand, its attempts to create a commission on the psychoanalysis could not lead to durable reforms. In order to concretize this report/ratio, Jean-Pierre Chevènement names it in 1982 Scientific director at the CNRS of first department SHS (company and Social sciences), station which it will occupy until 1986. Then, after being turned over to animate multiple research to the EHESS, it will be named of 1997 to 2000, Scientific director of the museum of the Man.

It receives the Gold medal CNRS for the whole of its work in 2001.

He is the author of the production of the great men (1982), Idéel and the material: thought, economies, companies (1984), the Enigma of the gift (1996), Metamorphoses of the relationship (2004) and With the base of the human society (2007).