French Spiritualism

Catalog description

This course is an exploration of perhaps the most important philosophical current to have emerged in 19th and 20th-century French philosophy: the tradition of 'spiritual realism' or 'French spiritualism.' Grounded in in the works of figures such as Maine de Biran, Félix Ravaisson, and Henri Bergson among others, the French Spiritualists sought a way beyond the reductive positions of materialism and positivism, and to renew a philosophically powerful engagement with the spiritual dimensions of reality. Drawing on both pre-modern and contemporary approaches, their works engage themes ranging from embodiment, affect, and habit to consciousness, love, and the nature of the person, leading to a renewed ethico-spiritual philosophy of life and a reanimated, non-dualistic view of cosmology. Throughout this course, students will be introduced to key writings from the French Spiritualists in translation while also engaging their ongoing legacy and import in 20th and 21st century philosophy. PRIORITY REGISTRATION TO PCC AND ESR STUDENTS