About
Jean-Marie Guyau (1854-1888) was a French philosopher and poet, born in Laval and died in Menton. Step-son of Alfred Fouillée, he showed remarkable intellectual precocity: he earned his licence ès lettres at 17, translated Epictetus, and at 19 won a prize from the Académie des Sciences Morales et Politiques for a memoir on utilitarian morality. Appointed lecturer at the Lycée Condorcet, he counted Henri Bergson among his students, but tuberculosis cut short his career. His major work, A Sketch of Morality Independent of Obligation or Sanction (1885), grounds ethics on life and generosity rather than duty. He introduced the term 'anomie' into sociology, later developed by Durkheim. His influence extended to Nietzsche, Kropotkin, and James.
* 1854-10-28 — † 1888-03-28
Major works
- Esquisse d'une morale sans obligation ni sanction (1885)philosophical essay
- La Morale d'Épicure (1878)essay
- La Morale anglaise contemporaine (1879)essay
- L'Irreligion de l'avenir (1886)essay
- L'Art au point de vue sociologique (1889)essay
Key milestones
- 1874Won a prize from the Académie des Sciences Morales et Politiques for his memoir on utilitarian morality.
- 1874Appointed lecturer in philosophy at the Lycée Condorcet in Paris.
- 1885Publication of his major work, A Sketch of Morality Independent of Obligation or Sanction.
Themes
morality without obligationvitalismgenerosityanomiesociological aesthetics
Sources: id.loc.gov · onlinelibrary.wiley.com