Edgar Morin is the exact opposite of sociologists who expound on their theories in long, unintelligible tomes.

Most of the pieces in this book are short, reminiscent of the philosopher Alain or Paul Valéry, covering an incredible range of subjects, at the whim of Edgar Morin's inspiration, mood, and current events. An independent and original thinker, this extraordinary centenarian is still as curious as ever about the things of this life and objects of thought. What is an intellectual’s mission? Why get out of bed in the morning? Was Montaigne Jewish? What is a conscience?
Edgar Morin draws on an immense body of knowledge accumulated over his century of living to question the complexity of reality and think about the future of our human society.