Anne-Lyse Chabert, a CNRS research fellow at IHRIM, and Gabrielle Halpern, a philosopher and author of numerous books, have published Nos paroles empêchées (Our Stifled Words) with Éditions de l'Aube.
Nos paroles empêchées
Anne-Lyse Chabert and Gabrielle Halpern
Éditions de l'Aube
Collection Hybridations
Intended for all audiences, this original book—presented in the form of a dialogue—invites readers to reflect on the role of speech, the meaning of listening, their impact on life, and the ways in which individuals may or may not be heard in our society.
Here, Anne-Lyse Chabert, a philosopher living with a neurodegenerative disease that affects her ability to communicate with the outside world, shares her discussions with Gabrielle Halpern, also a philosopher, with whom she has corresponded for several years.
“Far from being a personal account, the book transforms this ordeal into a philosophical tool: speech that is hindered becomes a privileged vantage point for observing our relationship to language, vulnerability, and recognition,” comments Éditions de l’Aube. The book brings to light a disturbing reversal: fragility lies not only in silenced voices, but in our collective structures that are incapable of making room for them. Through the figure of stifled speech, it is the state of our democracy, our institutions, and our public debate that is called into question. A society saturated with discourse can paradoxically become deaf: the challenge is no longer merely to speak, but to ensure that listening is possible.”
Excerpt from the back cover
How can one connect with the world when one cannot speak? How can one express one’s thoughts, how can one exist when speech is impeded? “Disability is first and foremost a disease of connection,” to quote philosopher Anne-Lyse Chabert, who suffers from a neurodegenerative disease that now affects her ability to communicate with the outside world. What if this silenced voice transcends the context of disability to challenge our entire society? How can we hear all those whose voices are silenced—whether a young child, an elderly person, or a citizen, for example? If it takes each of us several years to learn to speak, why does it take a lifetime to learn to listen?
The Authors
Anne-Lyse Chabert is a CNRS research fellow at IHRIM (ENS de Lyon); her publications include Transformer le handicap (Érès, 2017) and Vivre son destin, vivre sa pensée (Albin Michel, 2021).
Gabrielle Halpern is a philosopher and the author of numerous books. Named by ELLE-La Tribune as one of the “Thirty Women Transforming the Economy and Society” (2024), she lectures around the world.