Charles De Koninck
Encyclopedia
Charles De Koninck was a Belgian-Canadian Thomist philosopher and theologian. As director of the Department of Philosophy at the Université Laval
in Quebec
, he had decisive influence on catholic philosophy in French Canada
and also influenced Catholic philosophers in English Canada
and the United States
. The author of many books and articles in French and English, he contributed to a variety of philosophical fields including natural philosophy
, philosophy of science
, philosophy of mathematics
, and political philosophy
, but he also wrote on theology, especially Mariology
.
As the founder of the so-called Laval School of philosophy, De Koninck was the mentor of many philosophers, including Ralph McInerny
, who published an English translation of De Koninck's collected works.
, Belgium
, the son of Louis De Koninck and Marie Verplancke, both natives of Torhout. In 1914, De Koninck family emigrated to the United States, where Louis De Koninck worked as a builder and contractor in Detroit, Michigan.
In 1921 Charles was sent back to Belgium to complete his education. In Belgium he first went to school in Ostende, where his main interests were mathematics, chemistry, and physics, but where he also read widely in Latin, Greek, Flemish, and English Literature. He then studied philosophy at the Catholic University of Louvain, where he became a Thomist. After a spell at the University of Detroit, he returned to Louvain and earned a doctorate summa cum laude with a doctorate on the Sir Arthur Eddington's philosophy of science.
In 1934, De Koninck went to the Université Laval in Quebec, where he became a full professor the following year, a position which he held for the rest of his life. Between 1939 and 1956 he was dean of the faculty of philosophy at Laval.
De Koninck and his family hosted and entertained many notables in their Quebec City residence, among them Antoine de Saint-Exupéry
and his fiery writer-artist wife, Consuelo Suncín during their five week stay in the province in the spring of 1942. The De Koninck's precocious eight year old son, Thomas, whom Saint-Exupéry met, may have served as an inspiration for the extraterrestrial visitor of his most famous novella
, The Little Prince
.
Université Laval
Laval University is the oldest centre of education in Canada and was the first institution in North America to offer higher education in French...
in Quebec
Quebec
Quebec or is a province in east-central Canada. It is the only Canadian province with a predominantly French-speaking population and the only one whose sole official language is French at the provincial level....
, he had decisive influence on catholic philosophy in French Canada
French Canada
French Canada, also known as "Lower Canada", is a term to distinguish the French Canadian population of Canada from English Canada.-Definition:...
and also influenced Catholic philosophers in English Canada
English Canada
English Canada is a term used to describe one of the following:# English-speaking Canadians, as opposed to French-speaking Canadians. It is employed when comparing English- and French-language literature, media, or art...
and the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. The author of many books and articles in French and English, he contributed to a variety of philosophical fields including natural philosophy
Natural philosophy
Natural philosophy or the philosophy of nature , is a term applied to the study of nature and the physical universe that was dominant before the development of modern science...
, philosophy of science
Philosophy of science
The philosophy of science is concerned with the assumptions, foundations, methods and implications of science. It is also concerned with the use and merit of science and sometimes overlaps metaphysics and epistemology by exploring whether scientific results are actually a study of truth...
, philosophy of mathematics
Philosophy of mathematics
The philosophy of mathematics is the branch of philosophy that studies the philosophical assumptions, foundations, and implications of mathematics. The aim of the philosophy of mathematics is to provide an account of the nature and methodology of mathematics and to understand the place of...
, and political philosophy
Political philosophy
Political philosophy is the study of such topics as liberty, justice, property, rights, law, and the enforcement of a legal code by authority: what they are, why they are needed, what, if anything, makes a government legitimate, what rights and freedoms it should protect and why, what form it...
, but he also wrote on theology, especially Mariology
Mariology
Roman Catholic Mariology is theology concerned with the Virgin Mary, the mother of Jesus Christ as developed by the Catholic Church. Roman Catholic teachings on the subject have been based on the belief that "The Blessed Virgin, because she is the Mother of God, is believed to hold a certain...
.
As the founder of the so-called Laval School of philosophy, De Koninck was the mentor of many philosophers, including Ralph McInerny
Ralph McInerny
Ralph Matthew McInerny was a Roman Catholic, American, philosopher, University professor, and prolific author, including fiction of which some appeared under the pseudonyms of Harry Austin, Matthew FitzRalph, Ernan Mackey, Edward Mackin, and Monica Quill, and mysteries of which his best known is...
, who published an English translation of De Koninck's collected works.
Life
De Koninck was born in TorhoutTorhout
Torhout is a municipality located in the Belgian province of West Flanders. The municipality only comprises the city of Torhout proper. On January 1, 2008 Torhout had a total population of 19,755...
, Belgium
Belgium
Belgium , officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a federal state in Western Europe. It is a founding member of the European Union and hosts the EU's headquarters, and those of several other major international organisations such as NATO.Belgium is also a member of, or affiliated to, many...
, the son of Louis De Koninck and Marie Verplancke, both natives of Torhout. In 1914, De Koninck family emigrated to the United States, where Louis De Koninck worked as a builder and contractor in Detroit, Michigan.
In 1921 Charles was sent back to Belgium to complete his education. In Belgium he first went to school in Ostende, where his main interests were mathematics, chemistry, and physics, but where he also read widely in Latin, Greek, Flemish, and English Literature. He then studied philosophy at the Catholic University of Louvain, where he became a Thomist. After a spell at the University of Detroit, he returned to Louvain and earned a doctorate summa cum laude with a doctorate on the Sir Arthur Eddington's philosophy of science.
In 1934, De Koninck went to the Université Laval in Quebec, where he became a full professor the following year, a position which he held for the rest of his life. Between 1939 and 1956 he was dean of the faculty of philosophy at Laval.
De Koninck and his family hosted and entertained many notables in their Quebec City residence, among them Antoine de Saint-Exupéry
Antoine de Saint-Exupéry
Antoine de Saint-Exupéry , officially Antoine Marie Jean-Baptiste Roger, comte de Saint Exupéry , was a French writer, poet and pioneering aviator. He became a laureate of France's highest literary awards, and in 1939 was the winner of the U.S. National Book Award...
and his fiery writer-artist wife, Consuelo Suncín during their five week stay in the province in the spring of 1942. The De Koninck's precocious eight year old son, Thomas, whom Saint-Exupéry met, may have served as an inspiration for the extraterrestrial visitor of his most famous novella
Novella
A novella is a written, fictional, prose narrative usually longer than a novelette but shorter than a novel. The Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America Nebula Awards for science fiction define the novella as having a word count between 17,500 and 40,000...
, The Little Prince
The Little Prince
The Little Prince , first published in 1943, is a novella and the most famous work of the French aristocrat writer, poet and pioneering aviator Antoine de Saint-Exupéry ....
.
External links
- The Canadian Encyclopedia: Charles De Koninck by Elizabeth A. Trott.
- Biographical note on Charles de Koninck by Lawrence Dewan
- Good Catholic Books: Charles De Koninck page (Includes full text of many of his works).
- Charles De Koninck Wiki. De la primauté du bien commun contre les personnalistes