Abstract

Starting from the analysis of Proust’s philosophical background, the article aims to show the importance of the association of ideas in À la recherche du temps perdu. It is a theme that has been relatively little addressed so far, with the exception of Groen’s (2012) article and a few pages of Fraisse’s (2013) volume. The first part, referencing Cahiers X. Léon and the university textbook of philosophy used by Proust, confronts the question of a possible influence on Proust by the empiricism of Hume and his successors. The second part focuses on the role that the association of ideas plays in the construction of the Recherche. Considering the explicit reflections contained in the text, the article proposes to recognise the association of ideas as one of the regulating forces of Proustian thought.