Paul Alexandre René Janet (30 April 1823 – 4 October 1899) 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 ...

and writer.

Biography

Born in

Paris Paris () is the capital and most populous city of France, with an estimated population of 2,165,423 residents in 2019 in an area of more than 105 km² (41 sq mi), making it the 30th most densely populated city in the world in 2020. S ...

, he became professor of

moral philosophy Ethics or moral philosophy is a branch of philosophy that "involves systematizing, defending, and recommending concepts of right and wrong behavior".''Internet Encyclopedia of Philosophy'' The field of ethics, along with aesthetics, concerns ma ...

Bourges Bourges () is a commune in central France on the river Yèvre. It is the capital of the department of Cher, and also was the capital city of the former province of Berry. History The name of the commune derives either from the Bituriges, t ...

(1845–1848) and

Strasbourg Strasbourg (, , ; german: Straßburg ; gsw, label=Bas Rhin Alsatian, Strossburi , gsw, label=Haut Rhin Alsatian, Strossburig ) is the prefecture and largest city of the Grand Est region of eastern France and the official seat of the Eu ...

(1848–1857), and of logic at the ''lycée Louis-le-Grand'', Paris (1857–1864). In 1864 he was appointed to the chair of philosophy at the

Sorbonne Sorbonne may refer to: * Sorbonne (building), historic building in Paris, which housed the University of Paris and is now shared among multiple universities. *the University of Paris (c. 1150 – 1970) *one of its components or linked institution, ...

, and elected a member of the academy of moral and political sciences. He wrote widely on philosophy, politics and ethics, on idealistic lines: ''La Famille'', ''Histoire de la philosophie dans l'antiquité et dans le temps moderne'', ''Histoire de la science politique'', ''Philosophie de la Revolution Française'', etc. However, in the opinion of 1911 Encyclopædia Britannica, these writings are not characterised by much originality of thought. In philosophy he was a follower of

Victor Cousin Victor Cousin (; 28 November 179214 January 1867) was a French philosopher. He was the founder of "eclecticism", a briefly influential school of French philosophy that combined elements of German idealism and Scottish Common Sense Realism. As ...

, and through him of

G. W. F. Hegel Georg Wilhelm Friedrich Hegel (; ; 27 August 1770 – 14 November 1831) was a German philosopher. He is one of the most important figures in German idealism and one of the founding figures of modern Western philosophy. His influence extends a ...

. His principal work, ''Théorie de la morale'', owes much to

Immanuel Kant Immanuel Kant (, , ; 22 April 1724 – 12 February 1804) was a German philosopher and one of the central Enlightenment thinkers. Born in Königsberg, Kant's comprehensive and systematic works in epistemology, metaphysics, ethics, and ...

Works

*The Materialism of the Present Day, a Critique of Dr. Büchner's System

Notes

References

External links

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Janet, Paul 1823 births 1899 deaths University of Bourges faculty University of Strasbourg faculty University of Paris faculty French philosophers French essayists École Normale Supérieure alumni French male essayists