Serge Moscovici: biography and most important works

Serge Moscovici (1925-2014) was a French social psychologist, Known for his contributions to theorizing about social representations. His perspective and theoretical approach have notably influenced almost all disciplines of social sciences, especially anthropology and sociology.

Throughout his life He received numerous commemorations and awards. In addition, he held several important academic and administrative positions. Below we will take a tour of his life and delve into some of his most important contributions to the field of social psychology.

Early life

Moscovici was born in the Romanian city of Bráila on June 14, 1925. His family was Jewish, so he suffered anti-Semitic discrimination from an early age. In fact, in 1938 he was expelled from school in Bucharest due to a law against Jews. This situation prompted him to join the Romanian Communist Party, considered illegal in 1939.

During World War II, Serge Moscovici was interned in a forced labor camp.. He was there until it was liberated by the Red Army in 1944. During those years he taught himself French and read many philosophical works by authors such as René Descartes and Baruch Spinoza.

After his release he did not remain with his arms crossed. In the last years of the Second World War he met Isidore Isou, founder of Lettrism, with whom founded Magazine Gives which dealt with literary and artistic criticism. But unfortunately it was quickly censored. Furthermore, seeing how the Soviets took over the country, he helped several Zionist residents cross the Romanian border, for which he was put on trial in 1947.

After passing the trial he decided to leave his native country behind. He emigrated clandestinely and arrived in France a year later, passing first through Hungary, Austria and Italy. Over there, Thanks to a refugee foundation, he managed to study Psychology at the Sorbonne. He also studied epistemology and history of science.

Academic tour

His thesis in psychology dealt with the image that some members of French society had of psychoanalysis during the 1950s.. His tutor was the 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, he published his first book Psychoanalysis, its image and its public. Text in which I present for the first time his theory on social representations. This new theory reached maturity in the 80s and 90s, with special diffusion and reception in Europe and Latin America.

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

Besides, He was Director of the European Laboratory of Social Psychology, 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 must be clarified that Serge Moscovici was not only a great theorist, but he also put his ideas into practice.. He was a militant defender of ecology and even ran for mayor of Paris in 1960. Throughout his life he supported leftist movements like many intellectuals of his generation.

Most important contributions of Serge Moscovici

Although his most important theoretical contribution is social representations, Serge Moscovici’s contributions should not be simplified. Among them, the theory of active minorities stands out, which deals with the powerful influence of minorities.

This theory defends the thesis that the influence of majorities is overvalued. Because if the majority were so powerful within a society we would all think the same way. For this reason, Moscovici contradicts common sense and proposes that all social movements were started by individuals or small groups. Therefore, invention and social changes are carried out by minorities.

In addition, Research on innovation, conversion and beliefs are guides for many current scholars of psychology and social sciences.. Therefore, it can be said that Serge Moscovici has important contributions in diverse disciplines such as anthropology, sociology, mathematics and epistemology.

So that, Serge Moscovici was concerned with understanding both the social and psychological phenomena of the contemporary Western world.. To carry out this he had an intense life and a great and extensive academic production. Which continues to influence new generations of psychologists and social scientists throughout the world.

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