Buffier, Claude (2)
Buffier, Claude
A philosopher, and author, born in Poland, of French parents, 25 May, 1661; died in Paris, 17 May, 1737. He received his early education at the Jesuit College in Rouen and entered the Society of Jesus in 1679. After teaching literature in Paris, he returned to Rouen to take a chair of theology. Mgr. Colbert, archbishop of that city issued a pastoral recommending to his clergy certain books of Gallican and Jansenistic tendencies. Buffier attacked the pastoral in a pamphlet and having refused to make a retractation journeyed, with the leave of his superiors, to Rome to lay his case before the congregations. Where he easily justified himself and returning to Paris was connected from 1701 to 1731, with the “Journal de Trévoux.” He published works on history, asceticism, biography, education, literature, and especially on philosophy. He was not, as is often asserted, a disciple of Descartes, for he rejects altogether methodic doubt and follows in general the scholastics. The Encyclopedists, according to Tabaraud, inserted in their publications, without due credit, entire pages from his books, and Reid, the Scottish metaphysician, acknowledges his great indebtedness to Buffier. His chief works are: a Life of Count Louis de Sales, brother of the saint (Paris, 1708); “Pratique de la mémoire artificielle” (Paris, 1701) often reprinted; Grammaire française sur un plan nouveau (Paris, 1732), in many editions and translations; “Exposition des preuves les plus sensibles de la Vraie Religion” (Paris, 1732); and “Cours des sciences” (Paris, 1722).
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WALTER DWIGHT Transcribed by Joseph P. Thomas
The Catholic Encyclopedia, Volume IIICopyright © 1908 by Robert Appleton CompanyOnline Edition Copyright © 2003 by K. KnightNihil Obstat, November 1, 1908. Remy Lafort, S.T.D., CensorImprimatur. +John Cardinal Farley, Archbishop of New York
Fuente: Catholic Encyclopedia
Buffier, Claude
a Jesuit philosopher and voluminous writer, was born of French parents in Poland May 25, 1661, but brought up at Rouen. He died at Paris May 17, 1737. He was associated with the writers of the Memoires de Trevoux, and left an immense number of other works on a variety of subjects, of which the most important is Cours des Sciences (Par. 1732, fol.), a work of vast learning, and showing a luminous power of philosophical analysis. Sir James Mackintosh (Progress of Ethical Philosophy, 5) speaks of the just reputation of Buffier’s Treatise on First Truths (contained in the Cours des Sciences), and adds that his philosophical writings are remarkable for perfect clearness of expression Hoefer, Biog. Generale, 7, 733.
Fuente: Cyclopedia of Biblical, Theological and Ecclesiastical Literature
Buffier, Claude (2)
a Jesuit philosopher and voluminous writer, was born of French parents in Poland May 25, 1661, but brought up at Rouen. He died at Paris May 17, 1737. He was associated with the writers of the Memoires de Trevoux, and left an immense number of other works on a variety of subjects, of which the most important is Cours des Sciences (Par. 1732, fol.), a work of vast learning, and showing a luminous power of philosophical analysis. Sir James Mackintosh (Progress of Ethical Philosophy, 5) speaks of the just reputation of Buffier’s Treatise on First Truths (contained in the Cours des Sciences), and adds that his philosophical writings are remarkable for perfect clearness of expression Hoefer, Biog. Generale, 7, 733.