Ballanche, Pierre Simon

BALLANCHE, bɑ̄´´lɑ̄nch´, PIERRE SIMON: French theocratic philosopher of the Restoration, an intimate member of the circle which gathered around Chateaubriand and Madame Récamier; b. at Lyons Aug. 4, 1776; d. in Paris Aug. 7, 1847. His great work, the Palingégésie sociale (Paris, 1830), is an attempt to construct the philosophy of history on the basis of revelation; only the first of three parts projected was completed; a fragment of the third part, the Vision d’Hébal (1841), attempts in a vague way to predict the future. Ballanche’s thought was unsystematic and his style obscure. He was elected to the Academy in 1841. A collected edition of his works was begun in 1830, but only four volumes of the nine planned appeared.

Bibliography: Sainte Beuve, Portraits contemporains, vol. ii, Paris, 1846; J. J. Ampère, P. Ballanche, Paris, 1848; G. Frainnet, Essai sur la philosophie de P. S. Ballanche, Paris, 1902.