Edouard Le Roy
Encyclopedia
Édouard Louis Emmanuel Julien Le Roy (June 18, 1870 Paris
– November 10, 1954 Paris; edwaʁ ləʁwa ) was a French philosopher and mathematician
.
Le Roy was received at the École Normale Supérieure
(ENS) in 1892, and at the agrégation
in mathematics
in 1895. He became Doctor in Sciences in 1898, taught in several high schools
, and became in 1909 professor of mathematics at the Lycée Saint-Louis
in Paris.
From then on, Le Roy took an important interest in philosophy
and metaphysics
. A friend of Teilhard de Chardin and Henri Bergson
's closer disciple, he succeeded to him at the College of France (1922) and, in 1945, at the Académie française
. In 1919, Le Roy was also elected member of the Académie des Sciences morales et politiques.
Le Roy especially interested himself to the relations between science and morality. Along with Henri Poincaré
and Pierre Duhem
, he supported a conventionalist
thesis on the foundation of mathematics. Although a fervent Catholic
, he extended this conventionalist theory to revealed truth
s, which did not, according to him, withdraw any of their strength. He rejected in the domain of religion dogma
s, abstract reasonings and speculative theology
in favour of instinctive faith, heart and sentiment. He was one of those close to Bergson who encouraged him to turn to the study of mysticism
, explored in his later works. His conventionalism led his works, charged of modernism
, to be placed on the Index
by the Holy See
.
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
– November 10, 1954 Paris; edwaʁ ləʁwa ) was a French philosopher and mathematician
Mathematician
A mathematician is a person whose primary area of study is the field of mathematics. Mathematicians are concerned with quantity, structure, space, and change....
.
Le Roy was received at the École Normale Supérieure
École Normale Supérieure
The École normale supérieure is one of the most prestigious French grandes écoles...
(ENS) in 1892, and at the agrégation
Agrégation
In France, the agrégation is a civil service competitive examination for some positions in the public education system. The laureates are known as agrégés...
in mathematics
Mathematics
Mathematics is the study of quantity, space, structure, and change. Mathematicians seek out patterns and formulate new conjectures. Mathematicians resolve the truth or falsity of conjectures by mathematical proofs, which are arguments sufficient to convince other mathematicians of their validity...
in 1895. He became Doctor in Sciences in 1898, taught in several high schools
Education in France
The French educational system is highly centralized, organized, and ramified. It is divided into three different stages:* the primary education ;* secondary education ;...
, and became in 1909 professor of mathematics at the Lycée Saint-Louis
Lycée Saint-Louis
The lycée Saint-Louis is a higher education establishment located in the VIe arrondissement of Paris, in the Latin Quarter. It is the only public French lycée exclusively dedicated to classes préparatoires aux grandes écoles...
in Paris.
From then on, Le Roy took an important interest in philosophy
Philosophy
Philosophy is the study of general and fundamental problems, such as those connected with existence, knowledge, values, reason, mind, and language. Philosophy is distinguished from other ways of addressing such problems by its critical, generally systematic approach and its reliance on rational...
and metaphysics
Metaphysics
Metaphysics is a branch of philosophy concerned with explaining the fundamental nature of being and the world, although the term is not easily defined. Traditionally, metaphysics attempts to answer two basic questions in the broadest possible terms:...
. A friend of Teilhard de Chardin and Henri Bergson
Henri Bergson
Henri-Louis Bergson was a major French philosopher, influential especially in the first half of the 20th century. Bergson convinced many thinkers that immediate experience and intuition are more significant than rationalism and science for understanding reality.He was awarded the 1927 Nobel Prize...
's closer disciple, he succeeded to him at the College of France (1922) and, in 1945, at the Académie française
Académie française
L'Académie française , also called the French Academy, is the pre-eminent French learned body on matters pertaining to the French language. The Académie was officially established in 1635 by Cardinal Richelieu, the chief minister to King Louis XIII. Suppressed in 1793 during the French Revolution,...
. In 1919, Le Roy was also elected member of the Académie des Sciences morales et politiques.
Le Roy especially interested himself to the relations between science and morality. Along with Henri Poincaré
Henri Poincaré
Jules Henri Poincaré was a French mathematician, theoretical physicist, engineer, and a philosopher of science...
and Pierre Duhem
Pierre Duhem
Pierre Maurice Marie Duhem was a French physicist, mathematician and philosopher of science, best known for his writings on the indeterminacy of experimental criteria and on scientific development in the Middle Ages...
, he supported a conventionalist
Conventionalism
Conventionalism is the philosophical attitude that fundamental principles of a certain kind are grounded on agreements in society, rather than on external reality...
thesis on the foundation of mathematics. Although a fervent Catholic
Catholic
The word catholic comes from the Greek phrase , meaning "on the whole," "according to the whole" or "in general", and is a combination of the Greek words meaning "about" and meaning "whole"...
, he extended this conventionalist theory to revealed truth
Revelation
In religion and theology, revelation is the revealing or disclosing, through active or passive communication with a supernatural or a divine entity...
s, which did not, according to him, withdraw any of their strength. He rejected in the domain of religion dogma
Dogma
Dogma is the established belief or doctrine held by a religion, or a particular group or organization. It is authoritative and not to be disputed, doubted, or diverged from, by the practitioners or believers...
s, abstract reasonings and speculative theology
Theology
Theology is the systematic and rational study of religion and its influences and of the nature of religious truths, or the learned profession acquired by completing specialized training in religious studies, usually at a university or school of divinity or seminary.-Definition:Augustine of Hippo...
in favour of instinctive faith, heart and sentiment. He was one of those close to Bergson who encouraged him to turn to the study of mysticism
Mysticism
Mysticism is the knowledge of, and especially the personal experience of, states of consciousness, i.e. levels of being, beyond normal human perception, including experience and even communion with a supreme being.-Classical origins:...
, explored in his later works. His conventionalism led his works, charged of modernism
Modernism
Modernism, in its broadest definition, is modern thought, character, or practice. More specifically, the term describes the modernist movement, its set of cultural tendencies and array of associated cultural movements, originally arising from wide-scale and far-reaching changes to Western society...
, to be placed on the Index
Index Librorum Prohibitorum
The Index Librorum Prohibitorum was a list of publications prohibited by the Catholic Church. A first version was promulgated by Pope Paul IV in 1559, and a revised and somewhat relaxed form was authorized at the Council of Trent...
by the Holy See
Holy See
The Holy See is the episcopal jurisdiction of the Catholic Church in Rome, in which its Bishop is commonly known as the Pope. It is the preeminent episcopal see of the Catholic Church, forming the central government of the Church. As such, diplomatically, and in other spheres the Holy See acts and...
.
Works
- Sur l'intégration des équations de chaleur (1898)
- Science et philosophie (1899)
- Dogme et critique (1907)
- A New Philosophy: Henri Bergson (Une philosophie nouvelle : Henri Bergson, 1912)
- What Is a Dogma? (1918)
- Qu'est-ce-que la Science ?: réponse à André Metz (1926)
- L'Exigence idéaliste et le fait de l'évolution (1927)
- Les Origines humaines et l'évolution de l'intelligence (1928)
- La Pensée Intuitive. Le problème de Dieu (1929)
- Introduction à l'étude du problème religieux (1944)
- Discours De Réception (1946)
- Essai D'Une Philosophie Première (1956)
- Bergson Et Bergsonisme (1947)
- Essai d'une philosophie première : l'exigence idéaliste et l'exigence morale, 2 vol., posthumous (1956-1958)