Emile Boutroux 1845 – 1921
Emile Boutroux was a French philosopher whose work in the philosophy of science and religion shaped a generation of French and American thinkers, including his student Henri Bergson. His doctoral thesis, On the Contingency of the Laws of Nature, argued against the supposition of strict determinism in natural law and made room for genuine novelty and freedom in nature. His later writings on science and religion sought to show that the two are not enemies but distinct domains of human experience. He held the chair of philosophy at the Sorbonne and was elected to the Academie francaise.
Key facts
- Nationality
- French
- Era
- Modern
- Movements
- Continental
Selected quotes
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Attributed to Emile Boutroux:
“Necessity in nature is not absolute; the laws of nature have a contingent character.”
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Attributed to Emile Boutroux:
“Every level of nature has its own kind of law.”
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Attributed to Emile Boutroux:
“Liberty is a real principle in nature.”
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Attributed to Emile Boutroux:
“Religion and science are not enemies; they have different domains.”
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Attributed to Emile Boutroux:
“The truth of life is something different from the truth of logic.”