Famed French intellectual cites bogus 'Botulist' philosopher

French celebrity intellectual Bernard-Henri Levy has been caught red-faced quoting a "Botulist" philosopher who, it turns out, was invented as a joke by a journalist from a satirical weekly.

In his new book, "De la guerre en philosophie" (Making war in philosophy), Levy cites the insights of Jean-Baptiste Botul to show that German philosopher Immanuel Kant was not the bright light that some believe. He has since discovered, however, that Botul is a fictional character, created as a literary satire by journalist Frederic Pages, who writes for the tongue in cheek Le Canard Enchaine.

Levy admitted he had often quoted Botul's work "The sex life of Immanuel Kant" during public appearances and now in the pages of his latest book. "As it turns out, it was a hoax," admitted the author in a statement posted late Monday on the Web site of his magazine, La Regle du Jeu.

"It was a truly brilliant and very believable hoax from the mind of a Le Canard Enchaine journalist, who remains a good philosopher all the same," said Levy, known by his initials BHL. "So I was caught, as were the critics who reviewed the book when it came out," he wrote. "The only thing left to say, with no hard feelings, is kudos to the artist!"

Father of Botulism?

As the revelation created a buzz on the Internet, Pages issued a tongue-and-cheek statement insisting that Botul "does exist." The man was born in southern France and lived from 1896 to 1947, he said.

He described him as the father of a school of thought called "Botulism" and stressed that he had left a rich "oral tradition" in philosophy. "The 'Sex life of Immanuel Kant' is his most famous conference, delivered in Paraguay in 1946 and translated into nine languages," said editor Sandrine Palussiere.

BHL's embarrassing mistake was discovered by journalist Aude Lancelin of the left-leaning weekly Nouvel Obs. "A simple Google search would have alerted sad old BHL," wrote Lancelin.

Levy's gaffe made the rounds of Internet websites with many commentators saying that France's leading expert on modern thought - and a regular on TV chat shows and celebrity magazines - had thoroughly embarrassed himself.

Levy last stirred controversy when he published an account in 2008 of his visit to Georgia during the war with Russia that French newspapers said contained excerpts that were made up.

Pages also pens the popular "Carla B.'s diary" in Le Canard Enchaine in which a fictional first lady moans about life at the Elysee with President Nicolas Sarkozy, whom she refers to as "chouchou" (honey dearest).