Aron, Raymond

Aron, Raymond

▪ French sociologist
born March 14, 1905, Paris, France
died Oct. 17, 1983, Paris

      French sociologist, historian, and political commentator known for his skepticism of ideological orthodoxies.

      The son of a Jewish jurist, Aron obtained his doctorate in 1930 from the École Normale Supérieure with a thesis on the philosophy of history. He was a professor of social philosophy at the University of Toulouse when World War II broke out in 1939, upon which he joined the French air force. After the fall of France he joined the Free French forces of General Charles de Gaulle in London and edited their newspaper, La France Libre (“Free France”), from 1940 to 1944. On his return to France he became a professor at the École Nationale d'Administration, and from 1955 to 1968 he was professor of sociology at the Sorbonne. From 1970 he was professor at the Collège de France. Throughout his life Aron was active as a journalist, and in 1947 he became a highly influential columnist for Le Figaro (Figaro, Le), a position he held for 30 years. He left Le Figaro in 1977, and from then until his death he wrote a political column for the weekly magazine L'Express.

      Aron upheld a rationalist humanism that was often contrasted with the Marxist existentialism of his great contemporary, Jean-Paul Sartre (Sartre, Jean-Paul). Though his range was slightly narrower than Sartre's and his international renown less general, Aron enjoyed a position of intellectual authority among French moderates and conservatives that almost rivaled Sartre's on the left. Among Aron's most influential works were L'Opium des intellectuels (1955; The Opium of the Intellectuals), which criticized left-wing conformism and the totalitarian tendencies of Marxist regimes. Aron himself became a strong supporter of the Western alliance. In La Tragédie algérienne (1957; “The Algerian Tragedy”) he voiced his support for Algerian independence, and in République impériale: Les États-Unis dans le monde, 1945–1972 (1973; The Imperial Republic: The United States and the World, 1945–1973), he attacked the unthinking hostility aimed at the United States by French leftists. A continuing theme in his writings was the subject of violence and war, as evidenced in such works as Paix et guerre entre les nations (1962; Peace and War) and his books on the Prussian military theorist Carl von Clausewitz. Aron also wrote an influential history of sociology entitled Les Étapes de la pensée sociologique (1967; Main Currents in Sociological Thought). His memoirs were published in 1983.

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Universalium. 2010.

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  • ARON, RAYMOND — (1905–1983), French sociologist and writer. Aron, who was born in Paris, taught at Le Havre, Toulouse, Cologne, and Berlin. In 1956 he was appointed professor of sociology at the Sorbonne, and director of studies at the Ecole Pratique des Hautes… …   Encyclopedia of Judaism

  • Aron, Raymond — (1905 1983)    philosopher and sociologist    Born and educated in Paris, Raymond Aron was a prominent political thinker who served as editor in chief of La France libre in London during World War II (1941 44) and, with Jean Paul Sartre, was one… …   France. A reference guide from Renaissance to the Present

  • Aron, Raymond — (1905 83) A controversial French sociologist, Aron was professor of sociology at the Sorbonne from 1955 to 1968, and for some years a prominent member of the Mont Pelerin Society (although he later resigned). He was instrumental in introducing… …   Dictionary of sociology

  • Aron, Raymond (-Claude-Ferdinand) — born 1905 died 1983 French sociologist and historian. After receiving his doctorate from the École Normale Supérieure (1930), he taught at the University of Toulouse until 1939. During World War II he joined the Free French and edited their… …   Universalium

  • Aron, Raymond (-Claude-Ferdinand) — (1905–1983). Sociólogo e historiador francés. Luego de doctorarse en la École Normale Supérieure (1930), enseñó en la Universidad de Toulouse hasta 1939. Durante la segunda guerra mundial se unió a Francia Libre y editó su periódico (1940–44).… …   Enciclopedia Universal

  • Aron, Raymond — ► (1905 83) Sociólogo francés. Se dedicó al estudio de las sociedades industriales. Escribió Diez lecciones sobre la sociedad industrial (1962). En 1979 recibió el premio Goethe, y en 1982 el premio Erasmo …   Enciclopedia Universal

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  • Raymond Claude Ferdinand Aron — Raymond Aron Pour les articles homonymes, voir Aron. Raymond Aron Philosophe occidental XXe siècle Naissa …   Wikipédia en Français

  • Aron (name) — Aron is a masculine given name and a surname. It is an alternate spelling of Aaron , prominent biblical figure in the Old Testament. The name mean mountaineer , or mount of strength . There are given name and surname variants.People with the name …   Wikipedia

  • Aron — m. *Aro (planta). * * * aron. m. aro2. * * * Aron, Raymond …   Enciclopedia Universal

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