Linguist, philologist, orientalist, historian and philosopher, Ernest Renan (1823-1892) held the chair in Hebrew, Chaldean and Syriac languages at the Collège de France (1862-1892), and was its administrator from 1883 to 1892.

From his opening lecture onwards, his ground-breaking work drew an audience of nearly 3 000 and was contested by some members of the public, leading to the immediate suspension of his lecture in 1862, and his dismissal in 1864 after the publication of his Vie de Jésus. His approach to the figure of Jesus, which he considered solely from the point of view of historical sources, shocked the beliefs of many of his contemporaries, who refused to distinguish the historical figure from the divine.
Reinstated in 1870, he was instrumental in perpetuating certain operating principles of the Collège de France : a place of lectures for " la recherche en voie de se faire ", whose professorships changed as science and knowledge evolved.

Renan's concern for scientific modernity was reflected in his writings and his actions to promote excellence in teaching. In this way, he helped to impose the rigor of the exact sciences on the humanities, and to free the humanities and social sciences from all ideological influences (religious, political, etc.), whether external or personal to the researcher. Three of his writings, L'Avenir de la science, Vie de Jésus, and Qu'est-ce qu'une nation ? are milestones in the intellectual life of his century, and continue to influence the thinking of our contemporaries.

Notice written by Ronan Le Guen (Collège de France).