Charron, Pierre
Charron, Pierre
French philosopher, moralist, theologian, and pulpit orator. Born in 1541 in Paris, France in a family of 25 children; died in 1603. Priest and canon. Author of Les Trois Vrits, the unity of God, Christianity the sole religion, and Catholicism the only Christianity. Friend of Michael de Montaigne, but bolder and more dogmatic.
Fuente: New Catholic Dictionary
Charron, Pierre
Moralist, b. in Paris, 1541; d. there 6 Nov., 1603. He studied law at Bourges, but after several years’ practice he embraced the ecclesiastical state. For thirty years he preached with so much success that the bishops vied with one another to engage his services. Queen Margaret of Navarre entertained him as her preacher in ordinary, and King Henry delighted to hear him even before his conversion to the Catholic Faith. In Bordeaux he met the famous Michel de Montaigne. Their acquaintance ripened into a close and lasting friendship. Montaigne bequeathed to his friend the right to wear his coat of arms, and Charron in return made the sister of Montaigne heir to his possessions. Charron published three books: “Les trois vérités” (Bordeaux, 1594), “Les discours chrestiens” (Cahors, 1600), and “Sagesse” (Bordeaux, 1601). Whilst engaged in bringing out a second edition of the latter, he died suddenly of apoplexy.
At a period of extraordinary religious agitation the “Trois vérités” (Three Truths) proved to be a very opportune and valuable apology. The “Discours chrestiens” were published only a few months before “Sagesse”, and, like “Trois vérités”, they were perfectly orthodox. But the book which carried Charron’s influence and fame beyond the borders of France and down to our time is his “Sagesse”. Its rich material, which Charron had gathered chiefly from Montaigne’s conversations and essays, he divides into three parts: the nature of man; the duties of man as man; and the particular duties of the various classes and conditions of men. His standpoint is invariably that of a human philosopher. The sceptic spirit which pervades the whole book allows it to be summed up in a very few words: by his own natural light and strength man is incapable of finding principles of religion and morality sufficiently certain; and, being sure of nothing, it is consequently wise to live as conveniently and pleasurably as the common usage of the people among whom one lives allows. No attempt is made anywhere in the body of the book to conceal the baldness of this doctrine.
Had Charron, instead of engraving his easy-going “Je ne sçay” as the essence of all his worldly wisdom on the title-page of his “Sagesse” and over the entrance of his house, taken, like Descartes, the time and the trouble of finding a solid basis of moral and religious certainty, he would have shown himself a deeper and more independent philosopher and a worthier moralist. As it is, we need not wonder that the second edition of the “Sagesse” encountered great opposition and was allowed to appear only after some passages had been softened down, and others explained or corrected. Nor is the fierce onslaught of Garasse, who called Charron “athée et le patriarche des esprits forts”, surprising, especially when, even in our days, nearly the same charge is made and ably supported by Ad. Franck in the “Dictionnaire des sciences philosophiques”. These accusations, however, take account neither of the time in which Charron lived, when philosophic uncertainty was not held to imply clearly the rejection of revealed authority; nor of the author’s explicit professions that he intended his “Sagesse” as the best introduction to his “Trois vérités” and his “Discours chrestiens”; nor of the constant good opinion in which the author was held to the end of his life by his many ecclesiastical superiors.
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CHARLES B. SCHRANTZ Transcribed by Gerald M. Knight
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
Charron, Pierre
a French writer, was born at Paris in 1541. At first he studied law at Orleans and Bourges, and practiced several years in his profession, but afterwards betook himself to the study of theology, and soon became a famous pulpit orator. He preached several years in the south of France, and became chaplain to queen Marguerite. When forty-seven years old he returned to Paris, with the intention of joining a monastic order. Being refused, on account of his advanced age, he went again to the south. At Bordeaux he became acquainted with Montaigne, who exercised a great influence upon-him. In 1594 he published his Des Trois Verites (Bordeaux), and the bishop of Cahors appointed him vicar-general. The year following he represented his diocese at the meeting of the French clergy, and was elected its clerk. He died suddenly at Paris, Nov. 16,1603. Of his many writings, besides the above, we mention a collection of sixteen Discours Chretiens (ibid. 1600):-Traite de la Sagesse (ibid. 1601 a. o.). The principles laid down in this last work found some severe opponents, especially in the Jesuit Garasse, who. accused Charron of atheism. In the second edition, which appeared in 1604, some of the obnoxious passages were left out; but in 1607 a new edition of the correct text was published, which became the basis for later editions as published by Elzevir in 1646 and Didot in 1789. The best and most complete edition is the one published by Renouard (Dijon, 1801, 4 vols.). See Schmidt, in Herzog’s Real- Encyklop. s.v.; Bayle, Dictionnaire Historique et Critique, s.v.; Brucker, Historia Philosophies, iv, 512; Arboux, in Lichtenberger’s Encyclop. des Sciences Religieuses, s.v.; Hoefer, Nouv. Biog. Generale, s.v. (B. P.)