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Christophe Capuano: "Samuel Paty could have been a great historian, he chose the students"

2021-10-16T04:16:14.182Z


INTERVIEW - Professor of contemporary history at the University of Grenoble Alpes, Christophe Capuano got to know Samuel Paty during their studies. He pays homage to the intellectual in his friend.


During the tribute ceremony organized in the courtyard of the Sorbonne on October 21, 2020, Christophe Capuano had chosen to read the letter to the teachers of Jean Jaurès to salute the memory of Samuel Paty, the history and geography professor assassinated for five days earlier after showing caricatures of Muhammad to his students.

Christophe Capuano then mobilized to publish his friend's master's thesis, which deals with the symbolism of the color black in history.

He now chairs the jury for the Samuel Paty Prize created by the Association of History and Geography Teachers (APHG).

See also Decapitation of Samuel Paty: reports, threatening calls, complaints, videos ... Eleven days of gear

LE FIGARO.

- What memories do you keep of Samuel Paty?

Christophe CAPUANO.

-

We met on the benches of the university, in Lyon.

He was a studious student, coming out of preparatory classes with a remarkable work force.

I was impressed because he was particularly brilliant and very likeable after all.

We remained friends after our studies, when we both became history and geography teachers in college.

To read also Jean-Michel Blanquer: "There is a before and an after Samuel Paty"

Why did you want to have his master's thesis published, which deals with the color black in history?

Out of fidelity to my friendship with Samuel, it seemed important to me to pay him a tribute which sheds light on his personality, which tells us a little more about the man he was. I wanted an intellectual tribute for the intellectual that he was, in Lyon, his city of training. Then, when we reread the brief with Olivier Faure and another historian colleague, we were struck by the very high quality of his work. The thesis demonstrates a great literary and artistic culture. It tells us a cultural, social and representative story of the color black based on a wide variety of sources. He summons Balzac and Maupassant as well as painters like Caillebotte and Odilon Redon and music groups like The Cure. It is a surprising job, and very interesting.

We discover in Samuel a very solid intellectual

Christophe Capuano

What does this memoir reveal about his personality?

We discover in Samuel a very solid intellectual, who read and wrote passionately.

The thesis is also particularly well written, in a style of great elegance.

He also demonstrates his critical mind, his great curiosity.

He was someone who was interested in religion.

In his memoir, he is interested in black as a sign of mourning, good and bad.

Color was also a gateway to looking at spirituality.

He could have become a great historian: he preferred to put his knowledge at the service of the students.

Is it this commitment to his students that you want to honor with the Samuel Paty Prize?

This prize, organized by the association of history and geography teachers (APHG), of which I have accepted the presidency of the jury, aims to continue the educational mission undertaken by Samuel Paty in the classroom. It is about making students think about the values ​​of the Republic, particularly those of freedom of expression, opinion and secularism. Values ​​to which Samuel was particularly attached as a teacher. The students work in groups at the crossroads of French, history-geography and visual art to respond to the title of this year:

“Are we still free to express ourselves?”.

They will express themselves through the medium of their choice: videos, posters, songs… The prize will be awarded next fall.

The winners will win books and a trip to Paris to visit the emblematic places of the Republic, such as the Senate, the Pantheon, the National Assembly ...

A great nation places its teachers at the heart of the system.

Christophe Capuano

On the day of the national tribute ceremony, you chose to read Jean Jaurès' letter to teachers.

Why this text?

This letter comes from the Republican guide distributed to all teachers.

It seemed relevant to me because it shows the essential role of teachers in the Republic.

They bring knowledge and critical thinking to society.

The letter reminds us that a great nation places its teachers at the heart of the system.

The faculty were extremely shocked by the death of Samuel Paty.

They expect support and recognition from society, from students, their parents and society.

Paradoxically, the death of Samuel Paty recalled the function of teachers in the Republic.

We have to put things back in place.

Source: lefigaro

All news articles on 2021-10-16

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