A Romantic Historiosophy: The Philosophy of History of Pierre-Simon Ballanche

This intellectual history study locates the philosophy of history of Pierre-Simon Ballanche (1776-1847) within the intellectual, religious and social life of Restoration and July Monarchy France, and argues for the recognition of Ballanche as an important contributor to that milieu. The book’s four parts blend the topical and evolutionary approaches, analyzing dominant themes as they are developed across Ballanche’s works, and charts Ballanche’s complex relation of dependence and independence to the various intellectual currents of the period. The work seeks to clarify the thought of a notoriously obscure thinker, illumine the intellectual history of early-19th century France, and demonstrate how Ballanche’s project for religo-social regeneration effected a crucial step in the historical-mindedness of the Romantic period.