| Summary: | Jean Starobinski is well-known for his critical studies on XVIII century French literature, but has also been constantly interested in the history of medicine. Before starting to teach History of ideas and French modern literature at the University of Geneva, he graduated with a thesis on the history of the treatment of melancholy and practised medicine at the Hôpitaux Universitaires de Genève and at the Psychiatric clinic of Cery. His familiarity with both literary theory and scientific practice allowed him to develop what he called a « binocular vision » embracing the progress of the sciences all along with the literary expressions of modern Europeans. This essay aims at exploring the origin and implications of this facet of Starobinski's reflection, focussing on his attempt at understanding aesthetic and artistic expression in its dialectical relation with techno-scientific experience, while respecting the specificity of the two languages.
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