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French historian and philosopher (1884–1978) From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Étienne Henri Gilson (French: [ʒilsɔ̃]; 13 June 1884 – 19 September 1978) was a French philosopher and historian of philosophy. A scholar of medieval philosophy, he originally specialised in the thought of Descartes; he also philosophized in the tradition of Thomas Aquinas, although he did not consider himself a neo-Thomist philosopher. In 1946 he attained the distinction of being elected an "Immortal" (member) of the Académie française. He was nominated for the Nobel Prize in Literature.[4]
Étienne Gilson | |
|---|---|
 Étienne Gilson | |
| Born | Étienne Henri Gilson 13 June 1884 |
| Died | 19 September 1978 (aged 94) |
| Alma mater | University of Paris Collège de France |
| Era | 20th-century philosophy |
| Region | Western philosophy |
| School | Thomism Neo-Scholasticism |
| Doctoral advisor | Victor Delbos[1] |
| Other academic advisors | Lucien Lévy-Bruhl, Henri Bergson, Victor Delbos |
| Doctoral students | Anton Charles Pegis[2] |
Main interests | Theology, metaphysics, politics, literature, history of philosophy |
Notable ideas | The Thomistic distinction between being and essence Coining the term "mathematicism"[3][better source needed] |
In 2009, the International Étienne Gilson Society was created “to promote the thought of Étienne Gilson and classical philosophy in the academy and culture.” It publishes a journal, Studia Gilsoniana.[5]
Born in Paris into a Roman Catholic family originally from Burgundy, Gilson attended the minor seminary at Notre-Dame-des-Champs, then finished his secondary education at the Lycée Henri IV. After finishing his military service, during which he began to read René Descartes, he studied for his licence (bachelor's degree), focusing on the influence of scholasticism on Cartesian thought. After studying at the Sorbonne under Victor Delbos (1862–1916), and Lucien Lévy-Bruhl and at the Collège de France under Henri Bergson, he finished his degree in philosophy in 1906.
In 1908, he married Thérèse Ravisé of Melun, and he taught in the high schools of Bourg-en-Bresse, Rochefort, Tours, Saint-Quentin and Angers. In 1913, while employed in teaching at the University of Lille, he defended his doctoral dissertation at the University of Paris on "Liberty in Descartes and Theology" ("La Liberté chez Descartes et la Théologie").
His career was interrupted by the outbreak of World War I, as he was drafted into the French Army as a sergeant. He served on the front and took part in the Battle of Verdun as second lieutenant. He was captured in February 1916 and spent two years in captivity. During this time he devoted himself to new areas of study, including the Russian language and St. Bonaventure. He was later awarded the Croix de Guerre for bravery in action.[6]
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. At the invitation of the Congregation of St. Basil, in 1929, he set up the Pontifical Institute of Medieval Studies in Toronto in conjunction with St. Michael's College at the University of Toronto, which now hosts an annual Étienne Gilson Lecture. He was elected to the American Academy of Arts and Sciences in 1929.[7] As an internationally renowned thinker, Gilson was first, along with Jacques Maritain, to receive an honorary doctorate in philosophy from the Pontifical University of Saint Thomas Aquinas (Angelicum) in 1930.[8][9]
He taught as a Visiting Professor of Philosophy at Indiana University for 1939-1940. He also taught for three years at Harvard. He was elected to the Académie française in 1946. In 1948, he was elected an International Member of the American Philosophical Society.[10]
With the death of his wife, Thérèse Ravisé, on 12 November 1949, Gilson endured a considerable emotional shock.[11]
In 1951, he relinquished his chair to Martial Gueroult at the Collège de France to devote himself completely to the Pontifical Institute of Mediaeval Studies until 1968. He knew the Jesuit theologian and cardinal Henri de Lubac. Their correspondence has been published. Although Gilson was primarily a historian of philosophy, he was also at the forefront of the 20th century revival of Thomism, along with Jacques Maritain. His work has received critical praise from Richard McKeon.
Gilson undertook an in-depth analysis of Thomism from a historical perspective. To Gilson, Thomism is certainly not identical with scholasticism in the pejorative sense, but rather a revolt against it.[12] Gilson considered the philosophy of his own era to be deteriorating into a disipline which would signal humanity's abdication of the right to judge and rule nature, relegating humanity into 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 a revival of the philosophy of Thomas Aquinas would lead to the way out of that danger zone.[citation needed]
In his time, Gilson was the leading scholar of the history of medieval philosophy as well as a highly regarded philosopher in his own right.[citation needed] His works continue to be reprinted and studied today – perhaps alone among "Thomist" philosophers, his work and reputation have not suffered from the general decline of interest in and regard for medieval philosophy since the 1960s.[citation needed]
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