Maurice Blondel facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Maurice Blondel
|
|
|---|---|
Blondel in 1890
|
|
| Born | 2 November 1861 Dijon, France
|
| Died | 4 June 1949 (aged 87) Aix-en-Provence, France
|
| Alma mater | École Normale Supérieure |
| Era | 19th-century philosophy |
| Region | Western philosophy |
| School | French spiritualism |
|
Main interests
|
Philosophy of action Christian philosophy |
|
Notable ideas
|
Philosophy of action |
|
Influences
|
|
|
Influenced
|
|
Maurice Blondel (born November 2, 1861 – died June 4, 1949) was a French thinker. He was known for his ideas about how human reason and Christian faith connect. His most famous work was a book called L'Action (which means 'Action').
Contents
Maurice Blondel's Life Story
Maurice Blondel was born in Dijon, France, in 1861. His family usually worked in law, but Maurice chose to study philosophy. In 1881, he was accepted into a famous school in Paris called the École Normale Supérieure.
Early Career and L'Action
In 1893, Blondel finished his main project, a long paper called "L'Action" (Action). This paper explored how we live and act. At first, he was not given a teaching job. Some people thought his ideas were too Christian. They felt this might affect how philosophy was taught.
But in 1895, with help from his old teacher, Émile Boutroux, he became a lecturer. He taught first in Lille, then in Aix-en-Provence. By 1897, he became a full professor there. He stayed in Aix-en-Provence for his entire career.
Blondel's Ideas on Action
In his book L'Action, Blondel developed a "philosophy of action". This means he studied what it means for people to act. He looked at how we think and how we make choices. He explored the difference between what we want to do and what we actually do.
Blondel thought that there's a gap between these two things. He wondered how our desires can truly be fulfilled. This led him to think about the idea of something "supernatural." He believed that a philosopher could suggest this supernatural idea as a real possibility for humans. However, he left the details of this idea to religious studies, called theology.
Later Works and Influence
Blondel wrote more books about philosophy and religion. These included Letter on Apologetics and History and Dogma. These books caused a lot of discussion when they came out.
Around that time, the Catholic Church was concerned about a movement called "Modernism." Some people linked Blondel's ideas to this movement. However, Blondel was never officially criticized by the Pope. In fact, he received letters from Popes saying he was not under suspicion. His ideas later had a big impact on Catholic thinkers, especially those who wanted to renew Catholic thought.
Later Life and Family
Blondel's wife passed away in 1919. In 1927, he retired from teaching because of his health. Between 1934 and 1937, he published a set of three books about thought, being, and action. He also wrote L'être et les êtres (The Being and the Beings) in 1935 and L'esprit chrétien (The Christian Spirit) in 1946.
Maurice Blondel died in Aix-en-Provence in 1949. His older brother was a historian named Georges Blondel. He was also a cousin of the physicist André Blondel.
Maurice Blondel's Books
- L'Action: Essai d'une critique de la vie et d'une science de la pratique (1893)
- This book was translated into English as Action (1893): Essay on a Critique of Life and a Science of Practice.
- Lettre sur les exigences de la pensée contemporaine en matiere d'aplogétique et sur la méthode de la philosophie dans l'étude du probleme religieux (1896)
- This is often called The letter on apologetics in English.
- History and Dogma (1904)
- Both The letter on apologetics and History and Dogma were published together in English.
- L'être et les êtres – Essai d'ontologie concrète et intégrale (1935)
- L'ésprit chrétien (1946)
- Lettres philosophiques (1961)
A full collection of Blondel's works is being published in nine volumes.
See also
In Spanish: Maurice Blondel para niños
- Modernism in the Catholic Church
