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Introduction à la philosophie de l'histoire: essai sur les limites de l'objectivité historique
French
- GenresPhilosophyHistory
544 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1938
About the author
Raymond Aron
353 books180 followersRaymond-Claude-Ferdinand Aron (French: [ʁɛmɔ̃ aʁɔ̃]; 14 March 1905 – 17 October 1983) was a French philosopher, sociologist, journalist, and political scientist.
He is best known for his 1955 book The Opium of the Intellectuals, the title of which inverts Karl Marx's claim that religion was the opium of the people – Aron argues that in post-war France, Marxism was the opium of intellectuals. In the book, Aron chastised French intellectuals for what he described as their harsh criticism of capitalism and democracy and their simultaneous defense of Marxist oppression, atrocities, and intolerance. Critic Roger Kimball[2] suggests that Opium is "a seminal book of the twentieth century." Aron is also known for his lifelong friendship, sometimes fractious, with philosopher Jean-Paul Sartre.[3]
He is also known for his 1973 book, The Imperial Republic: The United States and the World 1945-1973, which influenced Zbigniew Brzezinski and Henry Kissinger, among others.
Aron wrote extensively on a wide range of other topics. Citing the breadth and quality of Aron's writings, historian James R. Garland[4] suggests, "Though he may be little known in America, Raymond Aron arguably stood as the preeminent example of French intellectualism for much of the twentieth century."
He is best known for his 1955 book The Opium of the Intellectuals, the title of which inverts Karl Marx's claim that religion was the opium of the people – Aron argues that in post-war France, Marxism was the opium of intellectuals. In the book, Aron chastised French intellectuals for what he described as their harsh criticism of capitalism and democracy and their simultaneous defense of Marxist oppression, atrocities, and intolerance. Critic Roger Kimball[2] suggests that Opium is "a seminal book of the twentieth century." Aron is also known for his lifelong friendship, sometimes fractious, with philosopher Jean-Paul Sartre.[3]
He is also known for his 1973 book, The Imperial Republic: The United States and the World 1945-1973, which influenced Zbigniew Brzezinski and Henry Kissinger, among others.
Aron wrote extensively on a wide range of other topics. Citing the breadth and quality of Aron's writings, historian James R. Garland[4] suggests, "Though he may be little known in America, Raymond Aron arguably stood as the preeminent example of French intellectualism for much of the twentieth century."
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August 8, 2024
THE FAMED FRENCH PHILOSOPHER LOOKS AT HISTORY
Raymond-Claude-Ferdinand Aron (1905-1983) was a French philosopher, sociologist, journalist and political scientist. He wrote in the Introduction to this 1938 book, "The title of this book runs the risk of misleading the reader who might identify the philosophy of history with the great systems of the beginning of the nineteenth century, so discredited today. As for the subtitle, it marks the point of departure rather than the goal of our study... I recognize the object of history as the arena of my action, spiritual history as the content of my consciousness, history as a whole as my nature... Our work, then, moves simultaneously from elementary methods of knowledge to global understanding; from establishment of categories to the organization of experience in terms of causality, and to the total account; from knowledge of self to knowledge of the past, and back to self... our book leads to a historical philosophy opposed to scientific "rationalism as well as to positivism... This historical philosophy is also in a sense a philosophy of history, but only if one defines history not as a panoramic vision of man's whole existence, but as an interpretation of present or past as linked to a philosophical concept of existence... which recognizes itself as inseparable from the epoch which it interprets and from the future which it foresees. In other words, the philosophy of history ... is at once both the introduction to it and its conclusion."
He suggests, "History is always history of spirit, even when it is the history of the forces of production." (Pg. 37) He says, "General history should be a history of philosophies as lived." (Pg. 145)
He argues, "many ideological, religious or political phenomena appear not to have the economic factor as their predominant cause. (What economic cause can explain the transition from polytheism to monotheism? the evolution of modern physics? the Crusades or the Wars of Religion?) In short, we come back to the same argument: the efficacy of the various antecedents is weighed in each situation. How can the result, unique and constant, of these special judgements be formulated in advance?" (Pg. 249)
He asserts, "There is no prime mover of the historical process: Such, in brief, would be the conclusion of our study." (Pg. 254) He adds, "It is vain to ask whether history has an end, since Providence is no longer believed in." (Pg. 258)
He concludes, "History may be treated as an objective reality, in which case knowledge is doomed to an indefinite progress towards an inescapable end... Second, history can merge with the development of intellectual worlds... Finally, history is like a human life, and knowledge, like knowledge of self and of others, is directed by a decision with a view to the future, and understands others only with reference to the subject." (Pg. 281-282)
Aron's book will be of interest to all students of the philosophy of history.
Raymond-Claude-Ferdinand Aron (1905-1983) was a French philosopher, sociologist, journalist and political scientist. He wrote in the Introduction to this 1938 book, "The title of this book runs the risk of misleading the reader who might identify the philosophy of history with the great systems of the beginning of the nineteenth century, so discredited today. As for the subtitle, it marks the point of departure rather than the goal of our study... I recognize the object of history as the arena of my action, spiritual history as the content of my consciousness, history as a whole as my nature... Our work, then, moves simultaneously from elementary methods of knowledge to global understanding; from establishment of categories to the organization of experience in terms of causality, and to the total account; from knowledge of self to knowledge of the past, and back to self... our book leads to a historical philosophy opposed to scientific "rationalism as well as to positivism... This historical philosophy is also in a sense a philosophy of history, but only if one defines history not as a panoramic vision of man's whole existence, but as an interpretation of present or past as linked to a philosophical concept of existence... which recognizes itself as inseparable from the epoch which it interprets and from the future which it foresees. In other words, the philosophy of history ... is at once both the introduction to it and its conclusion."
He suggests, "History is always history of spirit, even when it is the history of the forces of production." (Pg. 37) He says, "General history should be a history of philosophies as lived." (Pg. 145)
He argues, "many ideological, religious or political phenomena appear not to have the economic factor as their predominant cause. (What economic cause can explain the transition from polytheism to monotheism? the evolution of modern physics? the Crusades or the Wars of Religion?) In short, we come back to the same argument: the efficacy of the various antecedents is weighed in each situation. How can the result, unique and constant, of these special judgements be formulated in advance?" (Pg. 249)
He asserts, "There is no prime mover of the historical process: Such, in brief, would be the conclusion of our study." (Pg. 254) He adds, "It is vain to ask whether history has an end, since Providence is no longer believed in." (Pg. 258)
He concludes, "History may be treated as an objective reality, in which case knowledge is doomed to an indefinite progress towards an inescapable end... Second, history can merge with the development of intellectual worlds... Finally, history is like a human life, and knowledge, like knowledge of self and of others, is directed by a decision with a view to the future, and understands others only with reference to the subject." (Pg. 281-282)
Aron's book will be of interest to all students of the philosophy of history.
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