René Berthelot (philosopher)
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Through Paris, Philosophy and Astrobiology
Biography
Berthelot was the son of the chemist Marcellin Berthelot and his wife Sophie. He was a brother of the financier André Berthelot and of the diplomat Philippe Berthelot.
He studied at École normale supérieure from 1890, where he shared rooms with Léon Blum, André Beaunier and Célestin Bouglé.
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Career
Philosophy and the theory of law
A professor at the University of Brussels from 1897 till 1907, he influenced the Belgian Eugène Dupréel with his teaching. He was one of the founders of what is today known as “theory of law.” His works critiquing William James, Goethe and Nietzsche helped spread knowledge of these philosophers in France.
Comparative philosophy and Eastern philosophy
In 1938, in his published treatise on comparative philosophy, concentrating on Asian philosophy of science, he introduced the philosophical concept of “astrobiology” to designate the belief systems (mathematics, æsthetics, etc.) of ancient civilisations, drawing analogies between cosmic phenomena and earthly life. Berthelot's astrobiology should not be confused with the term “Exobiology” (appearing around 1960). He was also interested in Islamic philosophy.
Poetry
René Berthelot is the author of several hundred poems drawing on the traditions of Asia and the Islamic world, as well as on Dante, Shelley and Goethe.