An evening with “The Circle of Lost Philosophers”

On Thursday 20 November 2025, the Aula Maxima was filled to capacity for a performance of “The Circle of Lost Philosophers” (Le Cercle des Philosophes Disparus), a play written and directed by Dominique Rousseau, Emeritus Professor of Public Law at Sorbonne University (Paris 1).

Organised by the Faculty of Law of the Université Catholique de Lille, in close collaboration with Sorbonne Law School, the event stood out as one of the major cultural and academic highlights of the end of the year.

A thought-provoking journey through ideas

The play takes the audience to October 1799, on the eve of Napoleon’s coup d’État: in her salon at Coppet, Madame de Staël brings together Voltaire, Rousseau, Diderot and Condorcet to reflect on the decade that followed the French Revolution.

Through this imagined encounter, Dominique Rousseau offers a meditation on the place of intellectuals and legal scholars in democratic life. Should they take a stand? Speak out? Engage? This civic and philosophical dimension resonated strongly with the audience, made up of students, academics and professionals, who praised the play for its intellectual clarity and its contemporary relevance.

A distinguished cast from leading French Universities

A particular strength of the performance was the cast, composed of renowned academics who lent their voices and their presence to these historic figures:

• Madame de Staël – Mathilde Heitzmann-Patin, Professor in Public Law, University of Le Mans
• Voltaire – Xavier Philippe, Professor of Public Law, Sorbonne University (Paris 1)
• Rousseau – Pascal Beauvais, Professor of Private Law and Criminology, Sorbonne University (Paris 1)
• Diderot – Thibaud Mulier, Senior Lecturer in Public Law, University of Nanterre

The audience also praised the quality of the performance, the historical sensitivity of the staging and the depth of the exchanges brought to life by these committed scholars.

Strengthening academic partnerships

The evening also highlighted the strong and long-standing connection between the Faculty of Law of the Université Catholique de Lille and Sorbonne Law School. It offered a vivid example of how academic partnerships can enrich public debate and promote the dissemination of ideas.

The Faculty of Law warmly thanks all contributors and the many audience members for their enthusiasm and support.