Etienne Gilson

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Étienne Gilson (June 13, 1884 - September 19, 1978) was a French Catholic theologian, philosopher and historian. He is seen as one of the most important proponents of 20th century Thomism. In contrast to other modern Thomists (such as Jacques Maritain), Gilson's attempt to use Aquinas' thought for the sake of constructing a viable Catholic philosophical system went to lengths to emphasize the historical aspect of Aquinas' work. Gilson put much of his effort into locating the doctrines relative both to the earlier works from which Aquinas drew (chiefly, those of Aristotle), and to later critics and commentators.

Life

Gilson was born in Paris in 1884. Along with Maritain, he studied with the then tremendously popular Jewish philosopher Henri Bergson at the Collège de France. Gilson taught history of medieval philosophy from 1921 to 1932 at the Sorbonne, where he had previously studied, and then took the chair of medieval philosophy at the Collège de France. In 1929 he helped found the Pontifical Institute of Medieval Studies at Toronto, Canada. He was elected to the Académie Française in 1946.

Work

Gilson took to analyzing Thomism historically. To Gilson, Thomism is not identical with Scholasticism, but rather a revolt against it. Gilson saw a break down of philosophy 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.

Publications

  • 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

References and further reading

  • Haldane, John J. (1998). Thomism. In E. Craig (Ed.), Routledge Encyclopedia of Philosophy. London: Routledge

External links

Preceded by:
Abel Hermant
Seat 23
Académie française
1946-1978

Succeeded by:
Henri Gouhier

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