Abstracts
Abstract
This contribution examines how the discourse of “the primitive,” as an institutional point of reference developed by the philosopher Lucien Lévy-Bruhl (1857-1939), influenced the establishment of the Institute of Filmology at the University of Paris in 1948. Filmology, a term introduced by Gilbert Cohen-Séat, is described as a positive science with its own strategy of systematizing the study of film as object and institution with its own series of emerging methods. The present article describes the formulation of the “filmic fact” as a positive science indebted to Durkheimian methods, but also as a means of engaging with the multiple strands of “primitivism.” On the one hand, this article elaborates upon the significance of Lévy-Bruhl’s discussion of “primitivism” as an effective cosmology for causation and related inferences which asserts a space of difference to be further explored, and on the other, it explains how “primitivism” has been used to designate historical and psychological attributes within the institution of cinema as an emerging structure of producing meaning.
Résumé
Ce texte s’interroge sur la manière dont le discours sur le « primitif », tel que défini dans la pensée du philosophe Lucien Lévy-Bruhl (1857-1939), a influencé la création de l’Institut de filmologie à l’Université de Paris en 1948. Ainsi baptisé par Gilbert Cohen-Séat, la filmologie est décrite comme une science positive visant à systématiser l’étude du cinéma, à la fois en tant qu’objet et institution, tout en mettant en oeuvre un ensemble de méthodes nouvelles. L’élaboration de la notion de « fait filmique » procéderait ainsi d’une science positive inspirée de la méthode durkheimienne, mais permettrait également d’examiner les différentes facettes du « primitivisme ». D’une part, cet article cherche à dégager la pertinence des propos de Lévy-Bruhl sur le « primitivisme » en tant que cosmologie capable d’appréhender la causalité et les inférences qui lui sont associées, permettant ainsi d’aménager un espace de débat riche en réflexions. D’autre part, il vise à comprendre comment le « primitivisme » a été utilisé afin de qualifier des attributs historiques et psychologiques au sein de l’institution cinématographique, conçue comme une structure émergente de production de sens.
Appendices
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