Préhistoire : entre utopie et réalité (2) - 2026

The lecture is a masterful synthesis of historical research and philosophical reflection. Claudine Cohen demonstrates deep expertise in the history of prehistory, drawing on her extensive publications. She effectively uses the painting by Paul Jamin to illustrate the fusion of scientific evidence and imaginative reconstruction. The argument that science and imagination are not opposed but intertwined is well-supported through the example of Boucher de Perthes, whose visionary ideas were often ridiculed but ultimately validated. Cohen’s analysis of the intellectual context, including the resistance from religious and scientific establishments, is nuanced and well-documented. She provides specific examples of Boucher de Perthes’ writings and the reactions of contemporaries, grounding her claims in primary sources. The lecture is well-structured, moving from the general context to the specific case study, and then to broader implications. The discussion of 1859 as a pivotal year is insightful, linking the recognition of human antiquity with Darwin’s ‘Origin of Species’. Cohen also addresses the cultural and philosophical consequences, such as the expansion of human time and the reimagining of human origins. The lecture is accessible to a general audience while maintaining academic rigor. The only minor critique is that the lecture could have benefited from more explicit discussion of the limitations of Boucher de Perthes’ methods, but this is addressed implicitly. Overall, this is an excellent contribution to the public understanding of the history of science.

The title accurately reflects the lecture's focus on the interplay between utopian imagination and scientific reality in the origins of prehistory.

9/10

Lecture by a recognized historian and philosopher of science, based on her published research and primary sources. High academic rigor, clear argumentation, and contextualization.

Markers derived by PSI from the transcript: the creator did not define chapters.

• 02:00Introduction by the director of libraries, presenting Claudine Cohen and her work.
• 05:00Cohen introduces the painting by Paul Jamin as an icon of prehistory, discussing its scientific and imaginary elements.
• 10:00Discussion of the founding of paleoanthropology and prehistoric archaeology around 1860.
• 15:00Focus on Boucher de Perthes: his background, his claims about human antiquity, and the resistance he faced.
• 20:00Analysis of the intellectual revolution: the expansion of human time and the challenge to biblical chronology.
• 25:00Discussion of the role of 1859: recognition of stone tools and the founding of the Société d'anthropologie de Paris.
• 30:00Cohen elaborates on the interplay between science and imagination, using examples from Boucher de Perthes' writings.
• 35:00Examination of the cultural impact: new narratives about human origins and the reimagining of prehistoric life.
• 40:00Conclusion: the legacy of Boucher de Perthes and the ongoing dialogue between utopia and reality in prehistory.

• Collège de France - Conference program — Official program of the lecture series, providing context for the event.
• Collège de France - Official website — General resource for the institution and its activities.
• Collège de France - YouTube playlist — Playlist of interviews with Jean-Jacques Hublin, related to the exhibition.

• Collège de France - Official website — Institutional source confirming the lecture's context and the speaker's affiliation.

• www.fondation-cdf.fr
• fr.linkedin.com
• www.threads.net