Her philosophical work focused on risk taking, which she argued was essential, saying that "absolute security - like 'zero risk' - is a fantasy"[4] and that "[R]eal danger must be faced in order to survive".[6] Her book Éloge du risque or Praise of Risk was published in 2011.[4] Dufourmantelle was also a professor of psychoanalysis at The European Graduate School.[7]
Death
She died on July 21, 2017, at Pampelonne beach in Ramatuelle near the city of Saint-Tropez, while trying to rescue two children caught in the Mediterranean when the water became dangerously turbulent. The children were rescued by lifeguards and survived, but Dufourmantelle could not be resuscitated.[2][4][8] Dufourmantelle is survived by her partner Frédéric Boyer and three children.[9]
Honours
Dufourmantelle won the Prix Raymond de Boyer de Sainte-Suzanne from the Académie française in 1998.[4][10]