Blondel, Maurice
Blondel, Maurice
(1861-1939) A philosopher in the French “spiritualistic” tradition of Maine de Biran and Boutroux, who in his essays L’action (1893), and Le Proces de l’Intelligence (1922), defended an activistic psychology and metaphysics. “The Philosophy of Action” is a voluntaristic and idealistic philosophy which, as regards the relation of thought to action, seeks to compromise between the extremes of intellectualism and pragmatism. In his more recent book La Pensee (1934), Blondel retains his earlier activistic philosophy combined with a stronger theological emphasis. — L.W.