About
Hippolyte Taine (1828-1893) was a French philosopher, historian, and literary and art critic, a leading exponent of positivism. Educated at the École Normale Supérieure, he earned his doctorate in 1853. He held the first chair in art history at the École des Beaux-Arts from 1864 and was elected to the Académie Française in 1878. His determinist theory of 'race, milieu, moment' profoundly influenced naturalism, notably in Émile Zola. His major works include 'History of English Literature', 'Philosophy of Art', 'On Intelligence', and 'The Origins of Contemporary France'.
* 1828-04-21 — † 1893-03-05
Major works
- Histoire de la littérature anglaise (1863-1864)historical and literary essay
- Philosophie de l'art (1865-1882)aesthetics course
- De l'Intelligence (1870)philosophical treatise
- Les Origines de la France contemporaine (1876-1893)historical study
Key milestones
- 1853Earned his doctorate in literature with dissertations on Plato and La Fontaine.
- 1864Appointed to the first chair in art history at the École des Beaux-Arts in Paris.
- 1878Elected to the Académie Française.
Themes
DeterminismPositivismArt criticismHistoryNaturalism
Sources: britannica.com · larousse.fr