French-Armenian philosopher Marc Nichanian meets with YSU students

A literary scholar, translator, and editor, Marc Nichanian has played a pivotal role in the dissemination and analysis of contemporary philosophical works in the Armenian language. His contributions hold considerable importance in Armenian literature, philosophy, and the field of translation studies. During this visit, the esteemed philosopher not only discussed the soon-to-be-published Armenian translation of Agamben’s work, but also exchanged thoughts with YSU students on themes such as history, language, and temporality from a philosophical standpoint. 

Dean of YSU Faculty of Philosophy and Psychology, Aleksan Baghdasaryan, emphasized the significance of the meeting: "This is the second time our faculty has had the honor of welcoming Mr. Nichanian, thanks to the initiative of Associate Professor and PhD in Philosophy Davit Mosinyan, Head of YSU Laboratory for Philosophy and Theory of History. Today, we have a unique opportunity to hear from one of the leading philosophers of the 21st century, whose work resonates on a global scale. Many of you may already be familiar with Nichanian’s contributions—numerous acclaimed works and translations have been published in Armenian. I am hopeful that today and tomorrow will bring engaging and meaningful discussions." 

He also added in his remarks that Nichanian’s presence contributes to the advancement of contemporary philosophical discourse within the Armenian academic sphere.

"Since Marc Nichanian was in YSU to participate in the international conference organized by our laboratory, we took the opportunity to invite him to the faculty to engage directly with students. Today’s discussion centered on the philosophical inquiries raised by Friedrich Nietzsche, Michel Foucault, and Walter Benjamin—questions about the very act of thinking. Our next meeting will focus on analyzing their texts. This setting provides a platform to explore history through a philosophical lens—something particularly significant in today’s global context and within Armenian culture. Nichanian has both written extensively on this subject and translated key philosophical works," Davit Mosinyan noted.   

During the meeting, Nichanian offered a detailed reflection on Giorgio Agamben’s "The Language That Remains: Time, History, Language," focusing on its complex questions and the contemporary issues it raises, which are of urgent relevance to both scholars and the broader public. He encouraged students to read the book in advance to engage more meaningfully in the discussions planned for the following day.

Central to Nichanian’s scholarly work are themes such as memory, survival, the interpretation of history, and the construction of reality through language. He has translated numerous philosophical works and authored a range of significant texts, including the two-volume Image, Narrative, History and The Historiographic Perversion. Thanks to his efforts, works by Friedrich Nietzsche, Antoine Berman, Jacques Derrida, Walter Benjamin, Giorgio Agamben, and others have been translated into Armenian.

Notably, Marc Nichanian participated in the two-day academic event titled "State-Sponsored Histories and Historiographic Authority" as a keynote speaker.