Charles Renouvier 1815 – 1903
Charles Renouvier was a French neo-Kantian philosopher and the founder of what he called neo-criticism. Working largely outside the academy, he produced a vast philosophical system in his Essais de Critique Generale, in which he denied any actual infinity in nature, defended the freedom of the person against scientific determinism, and developed an ethical and political philosophy of strict individual responsibility. His thought provided the young William James with the philosophical vocabulary of free will to which James returned for the rest of his life.
Key facts
- Nationality
- French
- Era
- Modern
- Movements
- Continental
Selected quotes
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Attributed to Charles Renouvier:
“All knowledge presupposes a finite framework.”
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Attributed to Charles Renouvier:
“Freedom is the foundation of personality.”
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Attributed to Charles Renouvier:
“There are no true infinities in nature.”
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Attributed to Charles Renouvier:
“My first act of free will shall be to believe in free will.”
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Attributed to Charles Renouvier:
“Persons, not things, are the true subjects of philosophy.”