Louis Lavelle


Louis Lavelle was a French philosopher, considered one of the greatest French metaphysicians of the twentieth century. His magnum opus, La Dialectique de l'éternel présent, is a systematic metaphysical work. Lavelle's other principal works include De l'Être, De l'Acte, Du Temps et de l'Eternité, and De l'Âme Humaine.
In his works, Lavelle dealt with themes such as axiology, aesthetics, the problem of evil, morality, and freedom of the spirit. Lavelle was a member of the Académie des Sciences Morales et Politiques.

Biography

Louis Lavelle was born in France in 1883 and died there in 1951. He was Professor at the College de France; at the Sorbonne; and lectured at German, Italian, Swiss, Belgian and Dutch universities. In 1947 he was recognized for his many philosophical and religious writings, and named to the Académie des sciences morales et politiques.

Reception

Lavelle's work has not aroused much interest, both in the editorial and academic fields. Although he was recognized by some of the greatest French philosophers of the 20th century, such as Merleau-Ponty, Gilles Deleuze, Paul Ricœur and Pierre Hadot, Lavelle has not been studied in France. The first articles dedicated to him come from Italian and Brazilian interpreters.
There is also an attempt to spread the Lavellian philosophy, thanks to efforts by names like Alexis Klimov, Jean École, Jean-Louis Vieillard-Baron, Michel Adam and Bruno Pinchard, whose promote annual conferences on the work of the author.

Major publications

;Original French
Lavelle's other writings include La dialectique du monde sensible: La perception visuelle de la profondeur, La conscience de soi, La présence totale, L'Erreur de Narcisse, Le Mal et la Souffrance, La Parole et l'Écriture, and Les puissances du Moi.
;Selected translations of works by Lavelle
;Analyses and critiques in English
;Analyses and critiques in French