Étienne Gilson
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Étienne Gilson (June 13, 1884 - September 19, 1978) was a French Thomistic philosopher and historian of philosophy, born in Paris.
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[edit] Life
Born into a French Roman-Catholic family in Burgundy, Gilson initiated his studies in the parish school of Saint-Clotilde, in the classical College Notre-Dame-des-Champs, then finished his secondary education at the Lycee Henri IV. After finishing his military service during which he began to read Rene Descartes, he started his Licence (Bachelors degree) focusing on the influence of scholasticism on Cartesian thought. After studying at the Sorbonne under Victor Delbos (1862-1916) and Lucien Levy-Bruhl (1857-1939) and at the College de France under Henri Bergson, he finished his degree in Philosophy in 1906. In 1907 he married Therese Ravise of Melun, and he taught in the high-schools of Bourg-en-Bresse, Rochefort, Tours, Saint-Quentin and Angers.
In 1913, while he was teaching at the University of Lille, he defended his doctoral dissertation at the University of Paris on Liberty in Descartes and Theology but then was drafted as a sergeant when World War I erupted. He served on the front and took part in the battle of Verdun as second-lieutenant. He was made prisoner in February of 1916 and underwent two years of captivity. During this time he devoted himself to several things including the study of Russian and of St. Bonaventure. He was later awarded the Croix de Guerre for bravery in action.
In 1919, he became professor of the history of Philosophy at the University of Strasbourg. From 1921 to 1932, he taught the history of medieval philosophy at the University of Paris. Internationally renowned, he also taught three years at Harvard. Invited by the Congregation of St. Basil, he set up the Pontifical Institute of Medieval Studies in Toronto in conjunction with St. Michael's College at the University of Toronto. In 1951, he relinquished his chair at the College de France, to devote himself completely to the Medieval Institute until 1968. He was elected to the Académie Française in 1946.
He held a deep friendship with the theologian and cardinal, Henri de Lubac S.J. The letters between them have been published.
Although primarily a historian of philosophy, he was also one of the leaders of the 20th century revival of Thomism along with Jacques Maritain.
[edit] Work
Gilson took to analyzing Thomism historically. To Gilson, Thomism is not identical with Scholasticism, but rather a revolt against it.[citation needed] Gilson saw a breakdown of philosophy at his time into a science which would signal man's abdication of the right to judge and rule nature, man made a mere part of nature, which in turn would give the green light for the most reckless of social adventures to play havoc with human lives and institutions. Against "systems" of philosophy, Gilson was convinced that it was the revival of the philosophy of Thomas Aquinas that opens the way out of that danger zone.
Gilson was a very popular writer, and his many writings on the history of philosophy, especially medieval philosophy, are widely read and discussed today.
[edit] Publications
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- La Liberté chez Descartes et la Théologie, Alcan, 1913.
- Le thomisme, introduction au système de saint Thomas, Vrin, 1919.
- Études de philosophie médiévale, Université de Strasbourg, 1921.
- La philosophie au moyen-âge, vol.I : De Scot Erigène à saint Bonaventure, Payot, 1922.
- La philosophie au moyen-âge, vol.II : De saint Thomas d’Aquin à Guillaume d’Occam, Payot, 1922.
- La philosophie de saint Bonaventure, Vrin, 1924.
- René Descartes. Discours de la méthode, texte et commentaire, Vrin, 1925.
- Saint Thomas d’Aquin, Gabalda, 1925.
- Introduction à l’étude de Saint Augustin, Vrin, 1929.
- Études sur le rôle de la pensée médiévale dans la formation du système cartésien, Vrin, 1930.
- L’esprit de la philosophie médiévale, Vrin, 1932.
- Les Idées et les Lettres, Vrin, 1932.
- Pour un ordre catholique, Desclée de Brouwer, 1934.
- La théologie mystique de saint Bernard, Vrin, 1934.
- Le réalisme méthodique, Téqui, 1935.
- Christianisme et philosophie, Vrin, 1936.
- The Unity of Philosophical Experience, Scribner's, 1937.
- Héloïse et Abélard, Vrin, 1938.
- Dante et philosophie, Vrin, 1939.
- Réalisme thomiste et critique de la connaissance, Vrin, 1939.
- Théologie et histoire de la spiritualité, Vrin, 1943.
- Notre démocratie, S.E.R.P., 1947.
- L’être et l’essence, Vrin, 1948.
- Saint Bernard, textes choisis et présentés, Plon, 1949.
- L’École des Muses, Vrin, 1951.
- Jean Duns Scot, introduction à ses positions fondamentales, Vrin, 1952.
- Les métamorphoses de la cité de Dieu, Vrin, 1952.
- Peinture et réalité, Vrin, 1958.
- Le Philosophe et la Théologie, Fayard, 1960.
- Introduction à la philosophie chrétienne, Vrin, 1960.
- La paix de la sagesse, Aquinas, 1960.
- Trois leçons sur le problème de l’existence de Dieu, Divinitas, 1961.
- L’être et Dieu, Revue thomiste, 1962.
- Introduction aux arts du Beau, Vrin, 1963.
- Matières et formes, Vrin, 1965.
- Les tribulations de Sophie, Vrin, 1967.
- La société de masse et sa culture, Vrin, 1967.
- Hommage à Bergson, Vrin, 1967.
- Linguistique et philosophie, Vrin, 1969.
- D’Aristote à Darwin et retour, Vrin, 1971.
- Dante et Béatrice, études dantesques, Vrin, 1974.
- Saint Thomas moraliste, Vrin, 1974.
- L'athéisme difficile, Vrin, 1979
[edit] External links
| Preceded by Abel Hermant |
Seat 23 Académie française 1946-1978 |
Succeeded by Henri Gouhier |
