French philosophers : From Descartes, who founded modern philosophy, to Lévinas via Sartre, French philosophy is read around the world. Indeed, France has given philosophy its most important contributors, with Germany and Greece where a modest and curious young stonemason became the first philosopher in history. His name is Socrates, he walks barefoot and has only one passion: to learn from others by asking them questions.
Definition of Philosophy
Philosophy, from the ancient Greek φιλοσοφία (composed of φιλεῖν, philein: “to love”; and of σοφία, sophia: “wisdom” or “to know”), literally meaning “love of wisdom”, is an approach of critical reflection and of questioning about the world, knowledge and human existence.
Journey with French Philosophers
- Paris has long been a hub for French thought, and PARIS BY EMY invites you to explore this rich intellectual history with a personalized tour that takes you beyond the typical preset settings and brings you closer to the minds that shaped both French culture and the world. Whether you’re a philosophy enthusiast or simply curious about the evolution of ideas, this journey will explore French philosophers from the French Revolution to contemporary thinkers.
- Walk in the footsteps of René Descartes, who famously said, “Je pense, donc je suis” (I think, therefore I am), and reflect on his deductive mode of reasoning. Discover how Descartes and other philosophers, like Michel de Montaigne, paved the way for modern sense in philosophy, balancing scientific revolution with literary philosophy and analytic philosophy.
- Learn about Simone de Beauvoir and her Second Sex, one of the most influential feminist works that sparked debates about human rights, social issues, and private property. Uncover the ideas of Michel Foucault, a key figure in post-structuralism, who examined social disorder, the social contract, and popular sovereignty.
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Famous Philosophers in Paris
Lots of philosophers from above have studied, worked, and lived in Paris. Descartes, Blaise Pascal, Montesquieu, Diderot, Voltaire, Rousseau, Auguste Comte, Simone Weil…
Peter Abelard (Pierre Abélard)
- Born: 1079
- Died: 21 April 1142
- Influenced by: Aristotle, Augustine, Boethius, Early Scholasticism
Known for: Conceptualism, ethical intention theory, Sic et Non, early development of scholastic method. Abelard’s concept of justice is rooted entirely in intention:
- A just act = a right intention
- An unjust act = a corrupt intention
- Physical acts, laws, and outcomes matter far less than the state of the will
This made Abelard one of the earliest advocates of a psychological and internal theory of morality, centuries before Kant and existentialist ethics.
Michel de Montaigne
- Born: 28 February 1533
- Died: 13 September 1592
- Influenced by: Skepticism (Sextus Empiricus), Stoicism (Seneca), Humanism
Montaigne: Father of humanism precursor and founder of “human and historical sciences”
René Descartes
- Born: 31 March 1596
- Died: 11 February 1650
- Influenced by: Plato, Aristotle, Augustine, Scholasticism
French philosopher who did not like so much to be in Paris : Founder of the cogito – influenced by: Plato, Aristotle
Marie de Gournay
- Born: 6 October 1565
- Died: 13 June 1645
- Influenced by: Michel de Montaigne, Renaissance Humanism
Marie de Gournay : French Philosopher about The Equality of Men and Women editor and commentator of Montaigne
Blaise Pascal
- Born: 19 June 1623
- Died: 19 August 1662
- Influenced by: Montaigne, Augustinianism, Descartes (as interlocutor more than disciple)
Blaise Pascal: Creator of existentialism also French philosopher, mathematician, physicist, inventor
Montesquieu
- Born: 18 January 1689
- Died: 10 February 1755
- Influenced by: Locke, Classical republicanism, Political humanism
Montesquieu French philosopher in Paris : Thinker of the separation of powers legislative, executive and judicial
Jean-Jacques Rousseau
- Born: 28 June 1712
- Died: 2 July 1778
- Influenced by: Hobbes, Locke, Classical republicanism, Montaigne
Jean-Jacques Rousseau : French Philosopher of democracy influenced by Hobbes and Locke in Paris
Denis Diderot
- Born: 5 October 1713
- Died: 31 July 1784
- Influenced by: Enlightenment rationalism, Locke, Empiricism
Diderot French philosopher : Founder of the Encyclopedia prominent figure during the Age of Enlightenment
Voltaire (François-Marie Arouet)
- Born: 21 November 1694
- Died: 30 May 1778
- Influenced by: Locke, Newton, Classical liberalism, Bayle
Voltaire: French Philosopher of tolerance prominent figure during the Age of Enlightenment.
Auguste Comte
- Born: 19 January 1798
- Died: 5 September 1857
- Influenced by: Henri de Saint-Simon, Empiricist science
Comte French philosopher in Paris : Formulated the doctrine of positivism influenced by Saint Simon
Henri Bergson
- Born: 18 October 1859
- Died: 4 January 1941
- Influenced by: Herbert Spencer, Plotinus, Émile Boutroux
(Correction: Bergson influenced Deleuze, Heidegger, Sartre—not the other way around.)
Bergson: Thinker of vital energy influenced by Gilles Deleuze, Martin Heidegger, Jean-Paul Sartre
Émile Durkheim
- Born: 15 April 1858
- Died: 15 November 1917
- Influenced by: Auguste Comte, Montesquieu, Positivism
Durkheim: developed a vigorous methodology combining empirical research with sociological theory
Alexis de Tocqueville
- Born: 29 July 1805
- Died: 16 April 1859
- Influenced by: Montesquieu, Liberalism, Empirical political analysis
Tocqueville: Observer of democracy French aristocrat, diplomat, political scientist, political philosopher
Alain (Émile Chartier)
- Born: 3 March 1868
- Died: 2 June 1951
- Influenced by: Descartes, Rationalism, Classical liberal thinkers
Alain (Émile Chartier) : Cartesian thinker, French philosopher associated with rationalism
Gaston Bachelard
- Born: 27 June 1884
- Died: 16 October 1962
- Influenced by: Scientific epistemology, Bergson (as a critical point of departure), Continental philosophy
Bachelard: Epistemologist French philosopher in Paris of science, poetry, education and time
Jean Baudrillard
- Born: 27 July 1929
- Died: 6 March 2007
- Influenced by: Marx, Nietzsche, Saussure, Lefebvre, Situationists
Baudrillard: French sociologist, French philosopher Paris for his analyses of media, culture, and communication
Jean-Paul Sartre
- Born: 21 June 1905
- Died: 15 April 1980
- Influenced by: Heidegger, Husserl, Hegel, Marx, Kierkegaard
Sartre French philosopher in Paris : one of the key figures in the philosophy of existentialism and phenomenology
Simone de Beauvoir
- Born: 9 January 1908
- Died: 14 April 1986
- Influenced by: Sartre, Hegel, Marx, Husserl, Existentialism
Simone De Beauvoir French philosopher Paris : significant influence on both feminist existentialism and feminist theory
Monique Wittig
- Born: 13 July 1935
- Died: 3 January 2003
- Influenced by: Feminist theory, Marxism, Structuralism, Simone de Beauvoir
Monique Wittig : French Philosopher and feminist who wrote about overcoming enforced gender roles
Albert Camus
- Born: 7 November 1913
- Died: 4 January 1960
- Influenced by: Nietzsche, Kierkegaard, Greek tragedy, French moralists
Camus: French-Algerian philosopher in Paris thinker of the absurd
Vladimir Jankélévitch
- Born: 31 August 1903
- Died: 6 June 1985
- Influenced by: Henri Bergson, Russian moral philosophy, Mysticism
Jankélévitch: French Philosopher in Paris, Thinker of death and moralist influenced by Henri Bergson
Claude Lévi-Strauss
- Born: 28 November 1908
- Died: 30 October 2009
- Influenced by: Durkheim, Mauss, Structural linguistics (Saussure, Jakobson)
Lévi – Strauss: key in the development of the theory of structuralism
Pierre Bourdieu
- Born: 1 August 1930
- Died: 23 January 2002
- Influenced by: Marx, Weber, Durkheim, Structuralism, Lévi-Strauss
Bourdieu: Marxist sociologist, creator of the sociology of fields
Simone Weil
- Born: 3 February 1909
- Died: 24 August 1943
- Influenced by: Christianity, Platonism, Mysticism, Marxism
Simone Weil French philosopher in Paris : thinker of Christian mysticism and marxism
Élisabeth Badinter
- Born: 5 March 1944
- (Alive)
- Influenced by: Enlightenment thinkers, Feminist theory, Rousseau (as critique), Beauvoir
Élisabeth Badinter : known for her philosophical treatises on feminism and women’s role in society…
Enlightenment Thinkers of Paris – Architects of the French Revolution
One of my favorite French philosophers are The philosophes des Lumières. This movement began in the second half of the 17th century, originating in France with Voltaire, Jean-Jacques Rousseau, Denis Diderot, and spreading throughout Europe. Over time, it became the Siècle des Lumières, in English the Age of Enlightenment. The Enlightenment, these political, social, economic thinkers made commitments against political and religious oppression, social and ethnic injustices and intellectual obscurantism. Finally, these French philosophers inspired the revolution of 1789.
“To philosophize is to give the reason for things, or at least to seek it; for as long as we limit ourselves to seeing and reporting what we see we are only a historian. When we calculate and measure the proportions things, their magnitudes, their values, one is a mathematician – but the one who stops to discover the reason which makes that things are, and that things are rather like that than in another way, it is the philosopher proper “
Diderot and D’Alembert, Encyclopédie, article” Philosophie “
A major icon of the the Age of Enlightenment is Voltaire. Voltaire’s body was transferred to the Pantheon on July 11, 1791. However, it was without his heart and his brain. Indeed, dispatched in other places. In 1864, Napoleon III decided to bring the heart of the philosopher to Paris from Voltaire’s castle in Ferney and to transfer it to the National Library. Actually, His heart is placed in the plaster of a statue made by sculptor Houdon: it is still there today. The marble statue of Voltaire at the Comédie-Française in Paris hold his brain. Discover this great man !
French Philosophers Private Tours in Paris
Our private guided tour will also delve into the vitalizing ideas of thinkers who argued through brilliant abstract propositions, and the French Renaissance philosophers who explored natural phenomena and human nature. As we visit significant spots where these great minds lived and worked, you’ll gain insight into their political activism, contributions to popular culture, and their views on political systems.
Aristotle: “Philosophy is rightly called the science of truth” (Metaphysics)
This journey through the many schools of thought in Paris is perfect for those interested in French Renaissance philosophy, positive philosophy, or the ideas of contemporary thinkers. Discover how these philosophers not only shaped French political philosophy, but their ideas continue to influence popular culture and the modern world. Join us for an unforgettable experience, where vitalizing ideas meet the first person perspective in the heart of Paris.
Private Tour Guide in Paris
| Pricing | Duration | Number of people | Custom Features |
|---|---|---|---|
| From 240 Euros | 2 hours walking | Up to 6 persons | Hotel pick up |
| From 360 Euros | 3 hours walking | Up to 6 persons | Hotel pick up |
| From 850 Euros | 4 hours guide and driver | Up to 6 persons | Hotel pick up |
| From 950 Euros | 3 hrs walking and 2 hrs museum private tours | Up to 6 persons | Hotel pick up |
| From 1,450 Euros | 4 hrs driving and 2 hrs museum private tours | Up to 6 persons | Hotel pick up |
| Upon quotation | Your choice | Your choice | Your choice |
Beyond French Philosophers in Paris
PARIS BY EMY offers customizable Paris Private Guided Tours that allow you to combine different types of experiences.
Private walking tour or driving tour in Paris to cover more ground comfortably.