The Reception of Vernant in the English-Speaking World

Abstract

Six Anglophone colleagues of Jean-Pierre Vernant (1914–2007) in Britain and the USA recall his influence on their lives and research: his importance for the history of mentalities and for the theory of alterity and structuralism are discussed, together with the influence of Ignace Meyerson’s theory of psycholo­gie historique. The article ends with personal reminiscences of friendship, and Oswyn Murray’s obituary from The Independent newspaper, highlighting his career in the Resistance.

Keywords

• Jean-Pierre Vernant
• Pierre Vidal-Naquet
• altérité
• mentalité
• structuralism
• l’imaginaire