Jean Starobinski
- Born:
- November 17, 1920, Geneva, Switzerland
- Died:
- March 4, 2019, Morges, Switzerland
- Nationality:
- Swiss
- Profession(s):
- Literary Critic, Intellectual Historian, Physician
Early Life and Education
- Studied medicine and literature at the University of Geneva.
- Received his medical degree in 1948.
- Completed his dissertation on melancholy in 1960, a foundational work in his career.
Career and Major Achievements
- Professor of the History of Ideas at the University of Geneva from 1958 until his retirement in 1985.
- Visiting professor at numerous prestigious universities, including Johns Hopkins and the Collège de France.
- Elected to the Académie des sciences morales et politiques in 1994.
Notable Works
- Jean-Jacques Rousseau: La transparence et l'obstacle (1958)
- Histoire du traitement de la mélancolie, des origines à 1900 (1960)
- L'Oeil vivant (1961)
- La Relation critique (1970)
- Portrait de l'artiste en saltimbanque (1970)
- Les mots sous les mots: Les anagrammes de Ferdinand de Saussure (1971)
Legacy and Impact
Jean Starobinski's work significantly impacted literary criticism and intellectual history. He is renowned for his interdisciplinary approach, combining insights from medicine, literature, and philosophy. One can see the development of thinking about self-representation in his examination of works where "jean starobinski the style of autobiography definition" is subtly explored through character and narrative. His analyses of figures like Rousseau and Saussure are considered landmarks in scholarship. His work continues to influence scholars in various fields.