Why Do People Burn Books? An Interactive Talk in English

Why have people burned books for thousands of years? What makes certain ideas so threatening that governments, armies, religious authorities or ordinary people seek to destroy them?

Join us at Sapiens Café for an interactive, visual talk in English with John Eigenauer, intellectual historian and Professor Emeritus of Philosophy at Taft College in California.

Drawing on history, philosophy, art and striking historical examples, John will explore the long and fascinating history of book burning, from censorship and political repression to the fear of ideas that challenge established beliefs. Through photographs, posters, anecdotes and paintings, including a famous painting in the Louvre, we will discover what book burning reveals about power, knowledge, freedom of thought and the human desire to control ideas.

This talk is an invitation to question, discuss and think critically about the books societies choose to preserve — and those they choose to destroy.

Come think with us, ask questions and discover why the destruction of books is about much more than paper and ink.

📅 Friday, 20 November 2026 🕖 7:00 PM 📍 Sapiens Café – Science & Culture 38 rue Sibuet, 75012 Paris 🚇 Métro Picpus (Line 6) 🗣️ Talk in English 🎟️ Free admission (minimum purchase required)

Come think with us. Question. Understand. Think critically.