Sociologist Natalie Heinich is trying to stimulate “leftist anti-vocism”.

To sound like “leftist anti-vocism,” that was the intention of sociologist Nathalie Heinich during a recent session of political scientist Gilles Keppel’s “Violence and Dogma” seminar at the Ecole Normale Supérieure. According to him, it is an urgent necessity “Resuming the fight against awakening, for the moment monopolized by the right and far right”.

The event was held on May 31 in a graduation atmosphere, albeit with some success. A hundred people were gathered in the crowded room, the audience gathered quite a few grizzled heads, as well as a few students.

The holder of the Middle East-Mediterranean Chair was leaving Muslim communities for the occasion and invited Natalie Heinich to come and present her new essay. Is Vokism totalitarianism? (Albin Michel, 198 pages, €16.90), this session represented, as Gilles Keppel explained in his few introductory sentences, a way “Mix Idea and Action”.

“Atmospheric Totalitarianism”

This intention was reflected in the selection of guests, the main discussion of which was Laurent Joffrin, former director release and A new observerNow Director of Online Daily newspaper, A site that listens “Turn the compass to the left”. Bernard Rouget, professor at Sorbonne-Nouvelle University, author The territories conquered by Islamism (PUF, 2021) was also invited to participate in the discussions.

Natalie Hinch began her speech by confirming her desire “In defense of the values ​​of the republican, universal, secular, rationalist left”. This base would be weakened today by attacks from the vociferous camp, which is very present in the university, especially in gender and postcolonial studies, but also in society – the #metoo movement would epitomize this. This left, which is fighting legitimate battles, will still try to silence the opponent with a maneuver of intimidation, which is called “Abolition of Culture”.

The phenomenon would reach such proportions that Vokism would install a “Atmospheric Totalitarianism”According to Natalie Heinich, the formula is inspired “Atmospheric Jihadism” which Gilles Keppel uses to describe a diffuse Islamism that is not based on any one organization. The totalitarian dimension of the awakening movement comes from its tendency to censor, from the primacy of ideology over truth and identity that gives everyone a sense of belonging.