Jules Lachelier

Jules Lachelier
Born
Jules Esprit Nicolas Lachelier

(1832-05-27)27 May 1832
Died26 January 1918(1918-01-26) (aged 85)
Fontainebleau, France
AwardsConcours général (1850)
Chevalier de la Légion d'honneur (1872)
Officier de la Légion d'honneur (1888)
Commandeur de la Légion d'honneur (1903)
Education
EducationÉcole Normale Supérieure
University of Paris (Ph.D., 1871)
Doctoral advisorFélix Ravaisson
Philosophical work
Era20th-century philosophy
RegionWestern philosophy
SchoolFrench spiritualism
Lebensphilosophie
InstitutionsÉcole Normale Supérieure
Doctoral studentsÉmile Boutroux
Main interestsMetaphysics, epistemology
Notable ideasInduction grounded in the mind's activity

Jules Esprit Nicolas Lachelier (French: [laʃəlje]; 27 May 1832 – 26 January 1918) was a French philosopher, most known for his contributions to French spiritualism and his influence on modern French philosophy. He developed a system of rational idealism and was a key figure in the neo-spiritualist movement in French philosophy.

His work focused on the relationship between thought and reality, and he attempted to provide a basis for induction in a philosophy of nature. Lachelier's ideas had a significant impact on other philosophers, including Émile Boutroux, Victor Brochard, and Henri Bergson.