The publication of the three-volume Histoire critique de l'école d'Alexandrie between 1846 and 1851 marked the beginning of a turbulent career for French philosopher Étienne Vacherot. Born in Torcenay in 1809, he transitioned from a provincial educator to a prominent figure within the University of Paris before political shifts and ideological confrontations defined his later years.
Academic Tenure and Early Works
Educated at the École Normale Supérieure, Vacherot returned to the institution in 1838 to serve as director of studies. By 1839, he replaced Victor Cousin as a professor of philosophy at the Sorbonne. His intellectual focus was heavily influenced by German thought introduced by Cousin. He maintained that metaphysics rested upon psychology, advocating for the freedom of the soul and the necessity of moral law. His published output during this period included La Métaphysique et la science in 1858 and Essais de philosophie critique in 1864.
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Vacherot's career frequently intersected with the shifting regimes of 19th-century France. Following the publication of his historical critique of the Alexandrian school, the Clerical party initiated attacks against him, resulting in his suspension from the university in 1851. His subsequent refusal to swear an oath to the new imperial government led to his dismissal. Further controversy arose with the 1859 release of La Démocratie, which triggered a political prosecution and resulted in his imprisonment.
Public Office and Later Years
After the fall of the Empire, Vacherot assumed active roles in government. He served as mayor of a district in Paris during the siege and later joined the French National Assembly in 1871, where he cast votes as a Moderate Liberal. Although he gravitated toward Conservative views by 1873, he continued to write, producing works such as La Religion, La Science et la conscience, Le Nouveau Spiritualisme, and La Démocratie libérale. He became a member of the Académie des Sciences Morales et Politiques in 1868 and was appointed a Knight of the Legion of Honour.
Religious Philosophy
Vacherot occupied a complex position regarding religious belief. As a freethinker during the 1850s and 1860s, he acknowledged inherent contradictions in conceiving of God as a physical reality. However, he simultaneously argued for the necessity of religious belief, even while treating the object of such belief as abstract or imaginary. Toward the end of his life, he expressed remorse over the rise of atheistic anticlericalism and returned to Catholicism and monarchism, eventually receiving a Catholic burial upon his death in Paris in 1897.
Fast facts
- Born: 1809, Torcenay
- Died: 1897, Paris
- Education: École Normale Supérieure
- Notable Membership: Académie des Sciences Morales et Politiques
- Award: Knight of the Legion of Honour
- Key Role: Mayor of 5th arrondissement of Paris
- Language: French
- Citizenship: France
Questions readers ask
What caused Vacherot's dismissal from the university?
He was dismissed after refusing to swear allegiance to the imperial government following the political fallout from his earlier academic work.
Did Vacherot change his religious views?
Yes, he identified as a freethinker for much of his career but returned to Catholicism toward the end of his life.
Achievements
- Knight of the Legion of Honour
- Held posts at University of Paris
