Felix Ravaisson and Xavier Leon’s Philosophical Project

Abstract

The article discusses the main features of the variant of the metaphysics, that was developed by the French philosopher-spiritualist Felix Ravaisson (1813–1900), drawing on the ideas of Aristotle, Schelling, Maine de Biran, Plotin and other thinkers. Ravaisson, who characterized this conception as “spiritualistic realism or positivism”, argued in his works the interpretation of this form of philosophy of spirit as the supreme science, exploring principles that are supposed by private sciences, but go beyond their specific areas. The work of Ravaisson, who attempted to revive metaphysics in France in the period of domination of positivism, became in the late nineteenth century a crucial reference point for young intellectuals who were looking for new ways of developing philosophy. One of such ways, as shown in the article, was the creation of the philosophical journal “Revue de Métaphysique et de Morale” (1893); it was Ravaisson who became its first author.