Antoine Arnauld
Antoine Arnauld (1612–1694) was a prominent French theologian and philosopher, known as a leading figure in the Jansenist movement following the death of Jean Du Vergier de Hauranne, also known as Saint-Cyran. Born in Paris to a notable family, he was one of ten children who survived to adulthood in a family deeply involved in Jansenist thought, which opposed the teachings of the Jesuits. Arnauld received a rigorous education at the Collège Calvi and the Sorbonne, where he earned degrees in theology and was ordained in 1641.
His early works included critiques of Jesuit practices and defenses of Jansenist beliefs, which led to his expulsion from the Sorbonne in 1656. For twelve years, he lived at the Jansenist monastery Port-Royal des Champs, where he collaborated with notable contemporaries, including mathematician Blaise Pascal. Arnauld wrote extensively during his exile, contributing to fields such as grammar, logic, and mathematics, with significant works like "Grammaire générale et raisonné" and "La Logique: Ou, L'Art de penser."
Although he faced persecution from the Church, Arnauld continued to influence theological debates and was involved in conflicts with figures like Nicolas Malebranche. He died in 1694, leaving behind a legacy marked by his contributions to Jansenism, philosophy, and mathematics. His life and works reflect the tensions of his time in religious and intellectual circles, offering insights into the complexities of faith and reason.
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Antoine Arnauld
Writer
- Born: February 5, 1612
- Birthplace: Paris, France
- Died: August 8, 1694
- Place of death: Brussels, Belgium
Biography
Antoine Arnauld was born on February 6, 1612, in Paris. He was the son of Antoine Arnauld, a Parisian lawyer, and Catherine Marie de Druy. He is often referred to as The Great Arnauld to distinguish him from his father. Arnauld was one of twenty children born to his parents. Ten of the children reached adulthood.
Arnauld’s father was known throughout France for his defense of the University of Paris against the Jesuits in 1594. The Jesuits referred to his speech in the university’s defense as “the original sin of the Arnaulds.” Influenced by Jean Du Vergier de Hauranne (also known as Saint- Cyran), the Arnauld family soon allied itself with the Jansenists, the main enemies of the Jesuits. The family, which belonged to the nobility of the robe, became the major Jansenist family in France. Nine of the ten Arnauld siblings became Jansenists.
Arnauld received his education at the Collège Calvi and at the Collège Lisieux of the Sorbonne. He was originally encouraged to become a lawyer. However, influenced by Du Vergier, he chose instead to study theology and enter the Church. In 1635, he was awarded a bachelor’s degree. In 1641, he received a doctorate of theology and was ordained.
In 1643, he joined the faculty at the Sorbonne and wrote De la fréquente communion (on frequent communion) and La Morale pratique des Jésuites (moral theology of the Jesuits). The first book argued for Jansenist views regarding Holy Communion and the second attacked the Jesuits. Both books were influenced by Saint-Cyran. In 1655, Arnauld wrote two pamphlets criticizing methods used by the Jesuits in the confessional. These writings resulted in his expulsion from the Sorbonne in 1656.
Arnauld spent the next twelve years of his life either at the Jansenist monastery Port-Royal des Champs with other members of his family or in hiding. Here, Arnauld met the Jansenist mathematician Blaise Pascal who wrote his famous Les Provinciales (provincial letters) as a defense of Arnauld’s writings. From 1661 to 1669, the Jansenists were severely persecuted by the Church at Rome. Arnauld led the resistance to this persecution.
During his exile from Paris, Arnauld wrote three important works, all of which demonstrate Pascal’s influence. In 1660, he published Grammaire générale et raisonné (A General and Rational Grammar, 1753), arguing that mental process and grammar are the same. Then he wrote La Logique: Ou, L’Art de penser, 1662 (The Logic: Or, The Art of Thinking, 1685) elaborating on the work of Descartes and Pascal. Nouveaux Essais de géométrie (new elements of geometry), a pedagogical work, appeared in 1667.
In 1669, the Peace of Clement IX brought a ten-year hiatus to the persecution of the Jansenists. Arnauld, now attacking the Calvinists in his writings, found favor with the Church. In 1679, persecution resumed and Arnauld fled to the Netherlands, finally to Brussels. His last years were occupied by a disagreement with Nicolas Malebranche; he objected to Malebranche’s theory of grace and of ideas. Arnauld died on August 6, 1694. Arnauld was important for his writings on Jansenism, but he also made significant contributions in philosophy and mathematics.