It is often said that we live in an increasingly connected world where barriers of various kinds – cultural, economic, technological, etc. – are disintegrating. At the same time, our world has arguably never been so divided. Why have developments often associated with globalization, which is to say, developments intended to dissolve superficial differences and bring together the world’s myriad communities, been accompanied by seemingly intractable conflicts? In an age of global unity, why have a number of radical ideologies emerged that seem opposed to the collapsing of socio-politico-cultural difference? In this course we will tackle these and other related questions with an eye toward understanding radicalism(s) in the contemporary world. Moreover, as the class is conducted in French, students will develop a practical linguistic toolbox allowing them to discuss issues relevant to radicalism today, while improving their French proficiency more generally.