Jean-Marie Schaeffer

Jean-Marie Schaeffer is a Professor (Directeur d'études) at the School for Advanced Studies in the Social Sciences (EHESS) in Paris, where he has been affiliated since 2004. He serves as Director of the Graduate School of Arts and Languages since 2013 and previously directed the Centre de recherches sur les arts et le langage (CRAL) from 2001-2010. He also holds the position of Research Director at the CNRS since 1994, having begun his career there as a researcher in 1982.

His research spans multiple interconnected domains within literary and philosophical studies, with particular focus on the theoretical foundations of literature, aesthetics, and artistic representation. Schaeffer has made significant contributions to understanding fictionality, genre theory, and the philosophical underpinnings of aesthetic judgment. His work bridges continental and analytical philosophical traditions, examining how literature and visual arts function as cognitive and expressive systems. His scholarship demonstrates deep engagement with both historical traditions and contemporary theoretical debates.

Among his notable recognitions are a Junior Fellowship at the Institute for Advanced Studies in Princeton (1993), a Fellowship at Kyoto University's Center of Humanities (1989-1990), and the CNRS Bronze Medal (1994). His scholarly impact is further evidenced by the international translation of his major works into multiple languages.

Schaeffer has held significant academic leadership positions including Vice-president of EHESS for Research and International Relations (2009-2012), membership on the Senate of the University Consortium heSAM, and participation in numerous national and international scientific committees. He has served as an expert for funding agencies across France, Switzerland, Belgium, and Canada, and contributed to curriculum development including creating a Philosophy MA program at EHESS (2010) and a Theory of Literature specialization (2012).

His primary research affiliation has been with the Centre de recherches sur les arts et le langage (CRAL), a joint EHESS/CNRS research unit focused on interdisciplinary studies of arts and language. He has also been involved with the Laboratoire d'excellence «Créations, Arts et Patrimoines» since 2011, contributing to France's national research infrastructure in humanities.