Jacques Maritain

1882 - 1973

photo credits: Wikimedia Commons

movement: personalismo comunitario, Christian humanism, Christian democracy, human rights

country of citizenship: France

languages spoken, written or signed: French

educated at: Lycée Henri-IV, University of Paris, University of Notre Dame

occupation: philosopher, pedagogue, writer, diplomat

award received: Grand prix de littérature de l'Académie française, Aquinas Medal, Grand prix national des Lettres, Corresponding Fellow of the Medieval Academy of America

position held: ambassador of France to the Holy See

student of: Henri Bergson

Jacques Maritain (French: [maʁitɛ̃]; 18 November 1882 – 28 April 1973) was a French Catholic philosopher. Raised Protestant, he was agnostic before converting to Catholicism in 1906. An author of more than 60 books, he helped to revive Thomas Aquinas for modern times, and was influential in the development and drafting of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. Pope Paul VI presented his "Message to Men of Thought and of Science" at the close of Vatican II to Maritain, his long-time friend and mentor. The same pope had seriously considered making him a lay cardinal, but Maritain rejected it. Maritain's interest and works spanned many aspects of philosophy, including aesthetics, political theory, philosophy of science, metaphysics, the nature of education, liturgy and ecclesiology. Source: Wikipedia (en)