Alain (philosopher)
A philosopher of the everyday, he turned short, potent newspaper columns into a manual for clear thinking and human dignity.
1868–1951 (age 83)·French philosopher·Birthday: March 3·The Gilded Age
Biography
Under the pen name Alain, Émile-Auguste Chartier taught philosophy to lycée students and, through his daily 'Propos' (short essays), to all of France. He wrote not in dense treatises but in sharp, accessible bursts, arguing that philosophy was a tool for living, not an academic exercise. A staunch radical and pacifist, he believed in the power of the will and the necessity of judging each situation on its own terms, free from dogma. His influence was profound and personal; he was the teacher who shaped a generation, including Simone Weil and André Maurois. Sitting in cafes, writing on small slips of paper, Alain championed the ordinary citizen's capacity for reason and courage against the tides of passion and propaganda.
The Gilded Age
1860–1882
Born during or after the Civil War, they built industrial America — the railroads, the steel mills, the first skyscrapers. An era of massive wealth, massive inequality, and the belief that the future belonged to whoever could build it fastest.
Alain was born in 1868, placing them squarely in The Gilded Age. The events that shaped this generation — world wars, depression, and rapid industrialization — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Alain Was Born
The biggest hits of 1868
Alain's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1868Born
President: Andrew Johnson
1873Started school
President: Ulysses S. Grant
1881Became a teenager
President: Chester A. Arthur
1884Could drive
President: Chester A. Arthur
1886Could vote
Statue of Liberty dedicated in New York Harbor
President: Grover Cleveland
1889Turned 21
Eiffel Tower opens in Paris
President: Benjamin Harrison
1898Turned 30
Spanish-American War; US emerges as a world power
President: William McKinley
1908Turned 40
Ford Model T goes into production
President: Theodore Roosevelt
1918Turned 50
World War I ends; Spanish flu pandemic kills millions
President: Woodrow Wilson
1928Turned 60
Alexander Fleming discovers penicillin; Mickey Mouse debuts
President: Calvin Coolidge"Ol' Man River" — Paul WhitemanBest Picture: Wings
1938Turned 70
Kristallnacht and the escalation toward WWII
Gas: $0.20/galHome: $2,850Min wage: $0.25/hrPresident: Franklin D. Roosevelt"Begin the Beguine" — Artie ShawBest Picture: You Can't Take It with You
1948Turned 80
Israel declares independence; Berlin Blockade begins
Gas: $0.26/galHome: $7,450Min wage: $0.40/hrPresident: Harry S. Truman"Twelfth Street Rag" — Pee Wee HuntBest Picture: Hamlet
1951Died at 83
First color TV broadcast in the US
Gas: $0.27/galHome: $7,925Min wage: $0.75/hrPresident: Harry S. Truman"Too Young" — Nat King ColeBest Picture: An American in Paris
Key Achievements
- Authored over 5,000 'Propos', short philosophical essays published daily in newspapers, collected in numerous volumes.
- His teaching and writing profoundly influenced 20th-century French thought, emphasizing practical philosophy and critical judgment.
- Was a vocal and influential pacifist in the period between the two World Wars.
- His work 'Les Dieux' is considered a major study of mythology and the human condition.
Did You Know?
He wrote his famous 'Propos' on small, uniform slips of paper, a format that became his signature.
Despite being a philosophy teacher, he failed his own agrégation (competitive exam) in philosophy the first time he took it.
He was a skilled carpenter and often made his own furniture, believing in the virtue of manual work.
Alain served as an artillery soldier in World War I, an experience that deeply reinforced his pacifism.
““Pessimism is a mood; optimism is a will.””
