During the war, he came to know the writer Jean Prévost and Jean Beaufret, who was to become a major figure in the introduction of Heidegger's philosophy to France. In the 1950s, together with Jacques Derrida, he took hypokhâgne and khâgne at the Lycée Louis-le-Grand but, contrary to a persistent legend, he failed three times to be accepted at the École Normale Supérieure.
During the war, he acquainted himself with writers Jean Prévost and Jean Beaufret, who would later play a crucial role in introducing Heidegger's philosophy to France. In the 1950s, alongside Jacques Derrida, he attended hypokhâgne and khâgne at Lycée Louis-le-Grand but, contrary to an established myth, he failed three times to be accepted into École Normale Supérieure.