The Forgotten Individualist Georges Palante

Abstract

This article focuses on the works of Georges Palante (1862–1925). The author notes that in contemporary European socio-political thought there was a re­naissance of this thinker. In particular, his ideas became the foundation of the modern post-anarchism theory. Since both the movement of post-anarchism and the concepts of G. Palante are hardly known today in Russia, it is necessary to talk about this French philosopher. The study consists of two parts. The first part examines the historical context. The main topics of Palante’s works were determined by his polemic with Emile Durkheim, the founder of the French soci­ological school. Therefore, to avoid a misinterpretation of Palantian ideas, it is necessary to consider that this thinker primarily positioned himself as a social scientist. The second part focuses on the philosophical aspect of the Palantian heritage. Namely, the author examines a succession between the article “The mentality of the Rebel” and A. Camus’ essay “The Rebel”. Even though Camus didn’t mention this work, he agreed with Palante’s concepts in general, so it is possible to assume the link between two thinkers. In conclusion, the author dis­cusses the relevance of Palantian ideas for contemporary social, political, and philosophical sciences.