Serge Moscovici: Biography And Main Works

Serge Moscovici (1925-2014) was a French naturalized Romanian social psychologist, known for his contribution to the theory of social representations. His perspective and theoretical approach have influenced almost all disciplines of the social sciences, especially anthropology and sociology.

During his life he received numerous commemorations and awards. In addition to this, he has held several important academic and administrative positions. In this article, we will take a look at his life and delve into some of his most important contributions in the field of social psychology.

First years

Moscovici was born in the Romanian city of Brăila on June 14, 1925. His family was Jewish, so he was a victim of anti-Semitic discrimination from an early age. In 1938 he was expelled from the Bucharest school following the approval of anti-Semitic laws. This situation prompted him to join the Romanian Communist Party, which was considered illegal in 1939.

During the Second World War, Serge Moscovici was interned in a concentration camp, where he remained until the Red Army liberated him in 1944. During those years he learned French on his own and read many philosophical works by authors such as Renato Descartes and Baruch. Spinoza.

After being released, he certainly did not remain idle. During the last years of the Second World War she met Isidore Isou, founder of lyricism, with whom she founded the magazine Da, which talked about literary and artistic criticism, but was soon censored.

When the Soviets took control of the country, Moscovici helped several Zionist dissidents cross the Romanian border, which is why he was tried in 1947.

After the trial, he decided to leave his hometown. He emigrated illegally and arrived in France a year later, first passing through Hungary, Austria and Italy.

With the help of a foundation for refugees, he was able to study social psychology at the Sorbonne. He also studied epistemology and the history of science.

Academic path

He wrote his thesis in psychology on the idea that some members of French society had of psychoanalysis during the 1950s. His tutor was psychoanalyst Daniel Lagache. He was also a disciple of the historian and philosopher of science Alexandre Koyré.

Thanks to the results of his thesis in psychology, Serge Moscovici published his first book La psychanalise, son image et son public , presenting his theories on social representations for the first time. This innovative theory reached maturity in the 1980s and 1990s, when it spread and was welcomed in Europe and Latin America.

In the 1960s, Serge Moscovici was invited to the United States to teach at Princeton University’s Institute for Advanced Studies. He also worked at Stanford University and Yale University before returning to Paris to devote himself exclusively to teaching.

He was director of the European Social Psychology Laboratory, which he co-founded in 1975. He was also a member of the European Academy of Sciences and Arts, as well as a member of the Russian Academy of Sciences and an honorary member of the Hungarian Academy of Sciences.

It should be made clear that Serge Moscovici was not only a great theorist, but he also put his ideas into practice. He was a militant supporter of ecology and was also a candidate for mayor of Paris in 1960. Throughout his life he supported leftist movements like many intellectuals of his generation.

The most important contributions of Serge Moscovici

His most important theoretical contribution undoubtedly concerns social representations, but among the contributions of Serge Moscovici the theory of the social influence of active minorities stands out.

This theory defends the thesis that majority influence is overrated. Because if the majority were that powerful within a society, we would all think the same way. Contradicting the dominant theory, Moscovici argues that great social changes are promoted by individuals or small groups. The inventions and social movements that matter are therefore the work of minorities.

His research on innovation, change and beliefs must be seen as a guide for many psychology and social science scholars. It can therefore be said that the contributions of Serge Moscovici are innumerable and important in various disciplines such as anthropology, sociology, mathematics and epistemology.

Serge Moscovici was interested in understanding the social and psychological phenomena of the contemporary Western world. He led an intense life and left us a vast academic production that still influences the new generations of psychologists and social scientists around the world today.