"Design for self-analysis" is developed from the phrase "this is not an autobiography". Faithful to the principle of reflection, which guided his scientific research throughout his life, Bourdieu here presents himself as the object of his own research method and focuses on both the critical moments of his own scientific journey and the field in which this journey was shaped. "Design", which is an expanded and revised version of the last chapter of "Science of science and reflection", was first published in German, as the author believed that the analysis of the French field of thought that he attempts in it should first be read by readers who are not part of this field.
A text that combines emotion and intellectual courage, "Design" was written by Pierre Bourdieu between October and December 2001, the last three months before the death of the great French sociologist.