Les Structures anthropologiques de l'imaginaire, published in 1960, established a framework for understanding the relationship between physiology and society that defined a career spanning over six decades. A French academic whose work crossed the boundaries of sociology, anthropology, and philosophy, he challenged the historical devaluation of the image within Western intellectual tradition by arguing for its coexistence with reason.
Wartime Experience and Academic Beginnings
Born in Chambéry in 1921, Gilbert Durand was shaped by the political turmoil of the mid-twentieth century. During World War II, he served as a French resistance fighter in the Vercors. Following the conflict, he entered the secondary school system, where he taught philosophy from 1947 to 1956. This foundational period preceded his transition to higher education, where he eventually became a professor of sociology and anthropology at Université des sciences sociales de Grenoble.
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Durand’s intellectual output focused on the concept of the anthropological trajectory, which posits a reciprocal influence between human physiology and the social sphere. He categorized symbols and archetypes into two distinct regimes: the diurnal and the nocturnal. His theoretical foundation drew upon the work of Gaston Bachelard, Henry Corbin, and Carl Gustav Jung. In 1966, he co-founded the Centre de recherche sur l'imaginaire alongside Léon Cellier and Paul Deschamps. He later served as a member of Eranos and established the journal Les Cahiers de L'imaginaire in 1988.
Recognition and Later Career
Throughout his life, Durand received numerous accolades for his multidisciplinary contributions. In 1975, he was awarded the Georges-Dupau prize, followed by the Broquette-Gonin prize in 1980. His commitment to humanitarian efforts during the war resulted in his recognition as Righteous Among the Nations in 2000. In 2007, he was elevated to the rank of Commander of the Legion of Honour by Raymond Aubrac. Durand died in Rumilly on 7 December 2012.
Fast facts
- Born: 1921, Chambéry, France
- Died: 7 December 2012, Rumilly, France
- Occupations: Sociologist, anthropologist, philosopher, religious studies scholar, French resistance fighter
- Key Publication: Les Structures anthropologiques de l'imaginaire (1960)
- Righteous Among the Nations: 2000
- Commander of the Legion of Honour: 2007
- Academic Affiliations: Université des sciences sociales de Grenoble, Pierre Mendès-France University
- Notable Students: Michel Maffesoli
Questions readers ask
What is the anthropological trajectory?
It is an influential concept formulated by Durand in 1960, suggesting a bijective, or two-way, influence between human physiology and society.
What are the two regimes of the imaginary?
Durand distinguished between the diurnal and the nocturnal to classify various symbols and archetypes in his research.
Achievements
- Righteous Among the Nations — 2000
- Commander of the Legion of Honour — 2007
- Broquette-Gonin prize — 1980
- Worked as philosopher, sociologist and French resistance fighter
