Rémi Brague

Rémi Brague
Brague in 2017
Born	(1947-09-08) 8 September 1947 Paris, France
Region	Western Philosophy
School	Continental philosophy Phenomenology
Main interests	History of philosophy Metaphysics Cosmology Political philosophy Philosophy of religion Philosophy of law Western civilization Aristotelianism Secularity Medieval Islamic philosophy Medieval Jewish philosophy Medieval Christianity
Notable ideas	The centrality of Romanitas to Western Civilization The secularism/secularity distinction

Rémi Brague (born 8 September 1947 in Paris) is a French historian and philosopher. He studies the history of medieval Jewish, Arabic, and Christian thought. He is known for his deep work on how these traditions shaped Europe’s culture and modern ideas

Early life and education

Brague’s father died when he was one year old during the Indochina War. He began studying at the École Normale Supérieure in 1967 and received his teaching credential (agrégation) in philosophy in 1971. He earned his doctorate in 1976 under philosopher Pierre Aubenque, and later a higher doctorate (thèse d’État) in 1986. He also studied Hebrew and Arabic to read medieval texts in their original languages.

Academic career

Brague taught at the University of Paris 1 Panthéon-Sorbonne as a professor of medieval philosophy and Arabic philosophy from 1990 to 2010. He also held the Romano Guardini Chair in Philosophy at Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich from 2002 to 2013. He was briefly a visiting professor in Boston and Cologne.

Work and ideas

Brague focuses on how the Abrahamic religions (Judaism, Christianity, Islam) and ancient Greek philosophy influenced European thought. He began with a study on Aristotle's ideas of the world, aiming to interpret Aristotle in a modern way like Heidegger would have. Learning Hebrew and Arabic allowed him to study Jewish philosopher Maimonides and other medieval thinkers in their original texts.

Brague’s most famous works include:

• Eccentric Culture (Europe, la voie romaine, 1992) – a study of Western civilization from its Roman roots.
• A trilogy on Western law and thought:
  • The Wisdom of the World (1999 / 2004 English)
  • The Law of God (2005 / 2007 English)
  • The Kingdom of Man (2015 / 2018 English)

Brague engaged with Leo Strauss’s ideas on how texts can have deeper meanings for different readers, although Brague does not fully label himself a "Straussian".

Awards and honours

Brague has received many awards and recognitions:

• CNRS Bronze Medal (1988)
• Josef Pieper Prize and Grand Prix de Philosophie de l'Académie Française (both 2009)
• Ratzinger Prize for Theology (2012), shared with Brian E. Daley
• Named Knight of the Legion of Honour (2013)
• Member of the Académie des Sciences Morales et Politiques and the European Academy of Sciences and Arts

Legacy

Rémi Brague’s work is important for understanding how ancient philosophy and religious thought shaped Europe and modernity. His scholarship crosses language and religious boundaries, and he remains a respected figure in philosophy and intellectual history.