Anne Dufourmantelle

Anne Dufourmantelle (20 March 1964 – 21 July 2017) was a French philosopher and psychoanalyst. She pursued her education at Brown University and Paris-Sorbonne University, where she obtained a doctorate in philosophy in 1994. Dufourmantelle was a practicing psychoanalyst and held a professorship at the European Graduate School. She also contributed to the French daily newspaper *Libération*. Her philosophical inquiries primarily explored the concept of risk-taking, asserting that absolute security is an illusion and that confronting genuine danger is vital for survival. This theme is central to her book *Éloge du risque* (Praise of Risk), published in 2011. Her academic career also included a professorship in psychoanalysis at The European Graduate School. Dufourmantelle's life ended tragically on July 21, 2017, at Pampelonne beach in Ramatuelle. She drowned while attempting to save two children who were caught in turbulent Mediterranean waters. Although lifeguards managed to rescue the children, Dufourmantelle could not be resuscitated. She was survived by her partner, Frédéric Boyer, and their three children.