Michel Onfray La Contrehistoire De La Philosophie Audio 16 Full |top| May 2026
Report on “Michel Onfray – La Contrehistoire de la Philosophie – Audio 16 (Full)”
Criticism and Controversy
It is important to note that the Contre-histoire is not without its detractors. Academic philosophers often accuse Onfray of "cherry-picking" history to suit his narrative. They argue that he simplifies complex figures (like Plato or Kant) to make them villains in his story.
However, Onfray openly admits to this. He argues that all history is fiction and that his "counter-history" is a necessary corrective to balance centuries of academic bias. He is not trying to be neutral; he is trying to arm the listener with a philosophy that empowers the individual. Report on “Michel Onfray – La Contrehistoire de
What is the “Contre-histoire”?
Before examining Volume 16, one must understand Onfray’s premise. Traditional philosophy (from Plato to Kant to Hegel) is, in his view, an "idealistic lie"—a history written by the victors (clerics, academics, and spiritualists). Onfray’s counter-history does not focus on abstract essences or transcendent truths. Instead, he champions the materialists, hedonists, atomists, and skeptics.
He resurrects forgotten figures: from the Cyrenaics to Lucretius, from Spinoza (the "anti-Plato") to the French Enlightenment materialists like Diderot and La Mettrie. The project is as much a political act as a philosophical one: philosophy should serve the body, pleasure, and immanent joy, not an afterlife or abstract duty. Criticism and Controversy It is important to note
The Other Side of Reason: A Guide to Michel Onfray’s Contre-histoire de la philosophie
In the landscape of contemporary French thought, few projects have been as ambitious or as provocative as Michel Onfray’s Contre-histoire de la philosophie (Counter-History of Philosophy). While originally released as a series of books, the project gained a massive cult following through its audio iteration—specifically the comprehensive recordings published by Frémeaux & Associés.
For those seeking the "full 16" volume audio set, the experience offers a radical re-education in Western thought. It is not merely a lecture series; it is an intellectual rebellion captured on tape. true reality is the spiritual order
Why "Full" Matters
Many versions of these lectures online are truncated (29 or 40 minutes). The full Audio 16 runs approximately 1 hour and 18 minutes. The extended length allows for:
- Uninterrupted reading of primary source texts (Latin vulgarizations).
- A 10-minute audience Q&A recorded live at the Université Populaire de Caen.
- Onfray’s characteristic tangents—on art, wine, or contemporary politics—that are often cut from shorter edits.
D. Marcel De Corte: The Aristotelian Traditionalist
- Profile: A Belgian philosopher and staunch royalist.
- Onfray’s Analysis: Perhaps the most "ultra" of the reactionaries covered, De Corte rejected the French Revolution and the Enlightenment entirely. Onfray details De Corte's call for a return to an organic, hierarchical society. De Corte argues that "realism" has been inverted by modernity; for him, true reality is the spiritual order, not the material world.