How French Philosophy Wired Modern Thinking

How did a group of notoriously difficult French philosophers become intellectual rock stars on American college campuses — and how much do their ideas matter today?  In The Frenchmen, writer and editor Emily Eakin traces the unlikely rise of French theory and the thinkers who transformed how a generation understood language, truth, power, and identity. In this conversation with guest host Michael Kovnat, Emily explains why figures like Jacques Derrida and Michel Foucault became irresistible to students in the ’70s and ’80s, and how theory offered both intellectual sophistication and a new way to challenge the establishment. They explore how these ideas helped shape identity politics and our modern suspicion of institutions, why theory eventually fell out of fashion, and the scandals that accelerated its decline. Plus, Emily makes a surprising case for why the age of AI might prove some of the French theorists right. 🎥 The Next Big Idea is on YouTube! You can find our episodes here. 📱 Follow Rufus on LinkedIn, subscribe to our Substack, or send us an email at [email protected]. Today's episode is sponsored by: Granola — The AI notepad with notes, actions, and memory, and no annoying meeting bots. Try it totally free for three months at granola.ai/idea IM8 — Athletes. Doctors. They all drink IM8. Get a free welcome kit, five free travel sachets, and 10% off your order when you use code NBI at im8health.com/nbi Momentous — If you want to try Momentous Signature Spec Creatine, head to livemomentous.com and use code IDEA for up to 35% off your entire first order Northwest Registered Agent — Helping small business owners and entrepreneurs launch and grow businesses for nearly 30 years. Learn more at northwestregisteredagent.com/nbifree Shopify — It’s where you go to start your business, with everything you need already there from day one. Start your free trial at shopify.com/nbi Upwork — Find freelancers for any project. Visit upwork.com right now and post your job for free