About
Allan Kardec, born Hippolyte Léon Denizard Rivail in Lyon in 1804, was a French educator, translator, and author. A student of Pestalozzi, he became interested in spiritual phenomena and published The Spirits' Book in 1857, the foundational text of Spiritism. He systematized the doctrine in five works, founded the Parisian Society of Spiritual Studies, and launched the journal La Revue Spirite. His ideas on reincarnation and spirit communication spread globally, particularly in Brazil and Vietnam.
* 1804-10-03 — † 1869-03-28
Major works
- Le Livre des Esprits (1857)philosophical essay
- Le Livre des Médiums (1861)essay
- L'Évangile selon le Spiritisme (1864)religious essay
- Le Ciel et l'Enfer (1865)essay
- La Genèse (1868)essay
Key milestones
- 1857Publication of The Spirits' Book, the foundational work of Spiritism.
- 1858Founded the Parisian Society of Spiritual Studies and launched La Revue Spirite.
- 1869Died in Paris of a ruptured aneurysm.
Themes
reincarnationcommunication with spiritsperispiritmoral progressioncharity
Sources: data.bnf.fr · britannica.com