 | You can helpexpand this article with text translated fromthe corresponding article in German.Click [show] for important translation instructions.
|
Henri de Boulainvilliers (French:[aʁid(ə)bulɛ̃vilje]; 21 October 1658,Saint-Saire,Province of Normandy – 23 January 1722,Paris) was a French nobleman, writer and historian. He was educated at theCollege of Juilly; he served in the army until 1697.[1]
Primarily remembered as an early modern historian ofFrance, Boulainvilliers also published an early French translation ofSpinoza'sEthics and wrote on topics as diverse as astrology, physics, philosophy and theology. His theory that French nobility is ofGermanic origins while theThird Estate is ofCeltic Origin inspiredArthur de Gobineau.[2]
TheComte de Boulainvilliers traced his lineage to theHouse of Croÿ, to Jean de Croÿ, sire de Clery et de Boulainviller, who died in theBattle of Poitiers (1356). At the time of his birth, however, the family's fortune had declined significantly. Much of Boulainvilliers' historical work and political life centered on the decline of thenobility.[3]
In 1669, Henri de Boulainvilliers went to study at the Collège de Juilly, one of the most famous schools of theCongregation of the Oratory ofPhilip Neri. Natural philosophy, history and geographywere taught there. The philosopherMalebranche being one of the great educators at the Oratory,cartesianism was allowed reference in the classroom from 1662 until 1675 when it was banned by Royal decree. In 1673, Henry studied rhetoric with his teacherRichard Simon, who was excluded from the Oratory (1678) because of his critical Bible studies.
The education at Juilly had great impact on Boulainvilliers: a special accent on critical history had been introduced into the Oratory byCaesar Baronius andRichard Simon, and through the science classes he became familiar with the works ofJean Baptist van Helmont,Robert Boyle andEdme Mariotte.
Since he had also received private lessons in the German language, it is not inconceivable that he was able to read van Helmont in Dutch that author used as a critical means to an accessible reading ofmedicine in theLow Countries, and which so fluently worded his rich independence of mind.
In 1683 Boulainvilliers wrotel'Idée d'un Système Général de la Nature, based on his reading ofJan Baptist van Helmont andRobert Boyle, followed byArchidoxes deParacelsus, avec une préface sur les principes de l'art chimique.
By 1715-1720, he wrote hisTraité d'astronomie physique using the Cartesian method, commenting on the nature of gravity and the movement of planets and drawing on sources such asJean-Baptiste du Hamel andHuygens.
He described his method as experimental philosophy and closely preceded the Dutch experimentalists led byAnthony Leeuwenhoek (Nieuwentijt,Boerhave, Volder)
He retained affection forastrology, for which he was famous in Court gossip.
In aLettre à Mlle Cousinot sur l'histoire de France et le choix des historiens, he explained why the writing of history was to be more than the "amateur" collection of dates and anecdotes related to old coins (numismatics) and stones: The knowledge of history pertained to a distinct moral character of society. Related causes of past events, such as the 1346Battle of Crécy during theHundred Years' War, could be instructive on related measures in the present — how to do things better or worse. Sometimes we want to know not only what a historical figure has done, but by what right he might have done so differently.
He stressed in his writings the corruption absolutism played in the fall of France when he contrasts the role English and French historians were able to investigate history. For instance, when stressing the importance ofsources in developing fact, he contrastedThomas Rymer's way of access to the Londonarchives to that of his own where he had to bribe the keepers of the French archives. For his neutral reasoning, his works were cited by subsequent writers whose works would prove influential in the development of Western political thought and historical research.
Parallel to his historical studies ran an untiring interest in philosophy which he wrote down inConsidérations abrégées des operations de l'entendement sur les idées on the model borrowed from the famousPort-Royal Logic byAntoine Arnauld: psychology of the mind, logic, and method; to which he addedontology. His influences, apart from theSchola of his early education, wereGassendi,Descartes,Malebranche,Locke and Spinoza.
Boulainvilliers's translation of Spinoza'sEthics was not published until 1907 by Colonna d'Istria from an unsigned manuscript at Lyon.
Boulainvilliers's study of Spinoza, as captured in the collected treatises published by Renée Simon (1973), shows an exceptional development from a basic criticism to an enlightened understanding marked by the incredibly generous way in which he let his opponent use his own voice.
In theEssay de Métaphysique dans les principes de B...de Sp... he translated Spinoza's "geometrical method" into an accessible French, closely following its original meaning without incisive criticism.
In theExposition du système de Benoit Spinosa et sa defense contre les objections de M. Régis he voiced the defense of Spinoza against his cartesian criticPierre-Sylvain Régis. The comte Boulainvilliers was no blind follower of Descartes; he knew how to make use of his method, but he could equally well criticise him on metaphysical points.
This unusual way of writing philosophy led to the gossip that he was a Spinozist and therefore anatheist. Yet in his persistent criticism of Spinoza'smonism (through the concept of the "unity of substance"), in writings inaccessible to the multitude, his independent judgement remained unspoilt. After his death his name was frequently used to circulate anti-religious treatises, leading to still more confusion about his intellectual identity.
WithMatthieu Marais he shared a friendship with another great student of Spinoza,Pierre Bayle.
Less well known but as important in his time was the similar treatment he gave to the mysticism ofMolinos inExtrait du livre du ministrePierre Jurieu touchant les dogmes des mystiques et particulièrement contre Messieurs de Cambray et de Méaux. By the time the reader finished his lecture he had a complete survey of the works of Molinos, thus recapitulating the famous disagreements overQuietism.
Such are the traits that can make one regret the criticism — amply justified in retrospect — that Boulainvilliers, elsewhere, brought over himself by his brutal stance onfeudalism; traits for which he equally deserves to be known to a larger circle of students.
Boulainvilliers wrote a number of historical works (published after his death), of which the most important were the following:
This article incorporates text from a publication now in thepublic domain: Chisholm, Hugh, ed. (1911). "Boulainvilliers, Henri".Encyclopædia Britannica. Vol. 4 (11th ed.). Cambridge University Press. p. 318.