Jules Barthélemy-Saint-Hilaire (19 August 1805 – 24 November 1895) was a French
philosopher
A philosopher is a person who practices or investigates philosophy. The term ''philosopher'' comes from the grc, φιλόσοφος, , translit=philosophos, meaning 'lover of wisdom'. The coining of the term has been attributed to the Greek th ...
, journalist, statesman, and possible illegitimate son of
Napoleon I of France
Napoleon Bonaparte ; it, Napoleone Bonaparte, ; co, Napulione Buonaparte. (born Napoleone Buonaparte; 15 August 1769 – 5 May 1821), later known by his regnal name Napoleon I, was a French military commander and political leader who ...
.
Biography
Jules was born in Paris.
Marie Belloc Lowndes
Marie Adelaide Elizabeth Rayner Lowndes (née Belloc; 5 August 1868 – 14 November 1947), who wrote as Marie Belloc Lowndes, was a prolific English novelist, and sister of author Hilaire Belloc.
Active from 1898 until her death, she had a li ...
, in the second volume of her autobiography '' Where Love and Friendship Dwelt'' (1943), made claims regarding his paternity. He was reportedly ashamed of and did not talk about it. Lowndes did not say who his mother was.
In his early years he worked for the Ministry of Finance (1825–1828), and was an active journalist. From 1826 to 1830 he opposed the policies of
Charles X of France
Charles X (born Charles Philippe, Count of Artois; 9 October 1757 – 6 November 1836) was King of France from 16 September 1824 until 2 August 1830. An uncle of the uncrowned Louis XVII and younger brother to reigning kings Louis XVI and Lou ...
in ''
Le Globe
''Le Globe'' was a French newspaper, published in Paris by the Bureau du Globe between 1824 and 1832, and created with the goal of publishing Romantic creations. It was established by Pierre Leroux and the printer Alexandre Lachevardière. Afte ...
''. At the revolution of 1830 he signed the protestation of the journalists on 28 July 1830.
After 1830, he contributed to different newspapers, ''Le Constitutionnel'', ''Le National'' and '' Le Courrier français'' until 1833, when he gave up politics in order to devote himself to the history of ancient philosophy, undertaking a translation of
Aristotle
Aristotle (; grc-gre, Ἀριστοτέλης ''Aristotélēs'', ; 384–322 BC) was a Greek philosopher and polymath during the Classical period in Ancient Greece. Taught by Plato, he was the founder of the Peripatetic school of phil ...
, which occupied him the greater part of his life. The reputation he gained from this work won him the chair of ancient philosophy at the
Collège de France
The Collège de France (), formerly known as the ''Collège Royal'' or as the ''Collège impérial'' founded in 1530 by François I, is a higher education and research establishment (''grand établissement'') in France. It is located in Paris ne ...
revolution of 1848
The Revolutions of 1848, known in some countries as the Springtime of the Peoples or the Springtime of Nations, were a series of political upheavals throughout Europe starting in 1848. It remains the most widespread revolutionary wave in Europea ...
he was elected as a republican
deputy
Deputy or depute may refer to:
* Steward (office)
* Khalifa, an Arabic title that can signify "deputy"
* Deputy (legislator), a legislator in many countries and regions, including:
** A member of a Chamber of Deputies, for example in Italy, Spai ...
from the ''
département
In the administrative divisions of France, the department (french: département, ) is one of the three levels of government under the national level ("territorial collectivity, territorial collectivities"), between the regions of France, admin ...
'' of
Seine-et-Oise
Seine-et-Oise () was the former department of France encompassing the western, northern and southern parts of the metropolitan area of Paris.Carnot, head of the commission preparing the draft for the education reforms. However, after Carnot's resignation and replacement by Alfred de Falloux, the commission was dissolved. Nevertheless, Barthélémy-Saint-Hilaire deposed to the National Assembly the report and the propositions written by the commission, which were ignored. After the May 1849 legislative election, won by the conservative
Parti de l'Ordre
The Rue de Poitiers Committee (), best known as Party of Order (), was a political group formed by monarchists and conservatives in the French Parliament during the French Second Republic. It included monarchist members from both the Orléanist an ...
, he was however re-elected and named again as a member of the parliamentary commission on education. During three years, he thus played an important role during the debates leading to the adoption of the
Falloux Laws
The Falloux Laws promoted Catholic schools in France in the 1850s, 1860s and 1870s. They were voted in during the French Second Republic and promulgated on 15 March 1850 and in 1851, following the presidential election of Louis-Napoléon Bonaparte ...
in 1850–1851, which greatly increased the clergy's influence on education, to the dismay of Republicans such as Saint-Hilaire.
He was obliged to withdraw after the December 1851 ''coup d'état'' of
Louis Napoleon
Napoleon III (Charles Louis Napoléon Bonaparte; 20 April 18089 January 1873) was the first President of France (as Louis-Napoléon Bonaparte) from 1848 to 1852 and the last monarch of France as Emperor of the French from 1852 to 1870. A nephew ...
. In 1855 he went as member of the international commission to
Egypt
Egypt ( ar, مصر , ), officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, is a transcontinental country spanning the northeast corner of Africa and southwest corner of Asia via a land bridge formed by the Sinai Peninsula. It is bordered by the Mediter ...
to report on the possibility of the proposed
Suez canal
The Suez Canal ( arz, قَنَاةُ ٱلسُّوَيْسِ, ') is an artificial sea-level waterway in Egypt, connecting the Mediterranean Sea to the Red Sea through the Isthmus of Suez and dividing Africa and Asia. The long canal is a popular ...
, and by the articles which he wrote he contributed largely to making the project popular in France.
Elected deputy again in 1869, he joined the opposition to the
Second Empire Second Empire may refer to:
* Second British Empire, used by some historians to describe the British Empire after 1783
* Second Bulgarian Empire (1185–1396)
* Second French Empire (1852–1870)
** Second Empire architecture, an architectural styl ...
, and in 1871, as a member of the ''Centre gauche'' parliamentary group, bent all his efforts to the election of Thiers as President of the Republic, acting afterwards as his secretary. Appointed
senator for life
A senator for life is a member of the senate or equivalent upper chamber of a legislature who has life tenure. , six Italian senators out of 206, two out of the 41 Burundian senators, one Congolese senator out of 109, and all members of the Bri ...
in 1875, he took his place among the moderate republicans (aka
Opportunist Republicans
The Moderates or Moderate Republicans (french: Républicains modérés), pejoratively labeled Opportunist Republicans (), was a French political group active in the late 19th century during the Third French Republic. The leaders of the group inc ...
), and from 23 September 1880 to 14 November 1881 was
minister of foreign affairs
A foreign affairs minister or minister of foreign affairs (less commonly minister for foreign affairs) is generally a cabinet minister in charge of a state's foreign policy and relations. The formal title of the top official varies between cou ...
in the cabinet of
Jules Ferry
Jules François Camille Ferry (; 5 April 183217 March 1893) was a French statesman and republican philosopher. He was one of the leaders of the Moderate Republicans and served as Prime Minister of France from 1880 to 1881 and 1883 to 1885. He ...
. The most important event of his administration was the annexation of
protectorate
A protectorate, in the context of international relations, is a State (polity), state that is under protection by another state for defence against aggression and other violations of law. It is a dependent territory that enjoys autonomy over m ...
, which he actively promoted.
In 1882 the village of St. Hilaire, Minnesota, in the United States, was named in his honor.Upham, Warren (2001). ''Minnesota Place Names, A Geographical Encyclopedia'', Third Edition. MHS Press (), pp. 436-437.
He died in Paris in 1895. His principal works, besides the translation of Aristotle and a number of studies connected with the same subject, are ''Des Védas'' (1854), ''Du Bouddhisme'' (1856) and ''Mahomet et le Coran'' (1865).
Works
* ''De la Logique d’Aristote''. – Paris : Ladrange, 1838
* ''Ouverture du cours de philosophie grecque et latine''. – Paris : H. Fournier, 1838
* ''De l’École d’Alexandrie : rapport à l’Académie des sciences morales et politiques, précédé d’un Essai sur la méthode des Alexandrins et le mysticisme. L’ouvrage contient en complément une traduction des morceaux choisis de Plotin''. – Paris : Ladrange, 1845
* ''De la vraie Démocratie''. – Paris : Pagnerre, 1849
* ''Des Védas''. – Paris : B. Duprat, 185 online * ''Rapport concernant les mémoires envoyés pour concourir au prix de philosophie : proposé en 1848 et à décerner en 1853, sur la comparaison de la philosophie morale et politique de Platon et d’Aristote avec les doctrines des plus grands philosophes modernes sur les mêmes matières, au nom de la section de philosophie. Discours lu à l’Académie des sciences morales et politiques, dans la séance du 14 mai 1853''. – Paris : Firmin Didot, 1854
* ''Du Bouddhisme''. – Paris : B. Duprat, 185 online * ''Lettres sur L’Égypte''. – Paris : Michel Lévy frères, 185 online * ''Le Bouddha et sa religion''. – Paris : Didier, 1860
* ''Rapport fait au nom de la section de philosophie sur le concours relatif à la question du Beau''. – Paris : Firmin Didot, 1862
* ''Mahomet et le Coran : précédé d’une Introduction sur les devoirs mutuels de la philosophie et de la religion. Le livre connaît un second tirage la même année''. – Paris : Didier, 1865
* ''Du Boudhisme et de sa littérature à Ceylan et en Birmanie''. – Hamburg, 1866
* ''De la Métaphysique : Introduction à la métaphysique d’Aristote''. – Paris : Germer Baillière, 1879
* ''Le Christianisme et le boudhisme : trois lettres addressées à M. l’abbé Deschamps, la 1ère à l’occasion d’une publication de M. Deschamps, ayant pour titre Le Boudhisme et l’apologétique chrétienne ; la 2e en réponse à l’envoi d’une étude biblique du même auteur ayant pour titre La Découverte du livre de la loi et la théorie du coup d’état d’après les derniers travaux ; la 3e qui confirme les deux précédentes et en autorise la publication''. – Paris : Ernest Laroux, 188 online * ''L’Inde anglaise, son état actuel, son avenir : précédé d’une introduction sur l’Angleterre et la Russie''. – Hamburg, 1887
* ''La Philosophie dans ses rapports avec les sciences et la religion''. – Paris : F. Alcan, 188 online * ''Étude sur François Bacon : suivie du Rapport à l’Académie des sciences morales et politiques, sur le concours ouvert pour le prix Bordin''. – Paris : F. Alcan, 1890
* ''Aristote et l’histoire de la Constitution athénienne''. – Paris : Administration des deux revues, 189 online * '. – Paris : Hachette, 189 online * ''Traduction générale d’Aristote. Table alphabétique des matières''. – Paris : F. Alcan, 1892
* ''Socrate et Platon, ou le Platonisme''. – Chartres : Durand, 1896
Modern editions
* ''The Buddha and His Religion''. – Rupa & Co, 2002. –
Translations
* ''Pensées de Marc-Aurèle''. – Paris : G. Baillière, 187 online * ''Physique d'Aristote ou Leçons sur les principes généraux de la nature''. – Paris : Ladrange : A. Durand, 186 Volume IVolume II * ''Politique d'Aristote''. – Paris : Ladrange, 187 online * ''Psychologie d'Aristote: Opuscules (Parva Naturalia)'', Paris: Dumont, 184 online
Notes
References
*
Georges Picot
Georges Marie René Picot (; 24 December 1838 – 16 August 1909) was a French lawyer and historian.
His main work is ''Histoire des États généraux'' for which he twice gained the prize of the French Academy in 1873 and 1874.
Biography
Ge ...