Henri Frederic Amiel Philosopher

Gender: Male
Citizenship: Switzerland
Born: Sep 28, 1821
Died: May 11, 1881

Henri Frédéric Amiel was a Swiss philosopher, poet and critic.

Born in Geneva in 1821, he was descended from a Huguenot family driven to Switzerland by the revocation of the Edict of Nantes.

After losing his parents at an early age, Amiel travelled widely, became intimate with the intellectual leaders of Europe, and made a special study of German philosophy in Berlin. In 1849 he was appointed professor of aesthetics at the academy of Geneva, and in 1854 became professor of moral philosophy. These appointments, conferred by the democratic party, deprived him of the support of the aristocratic party, which comprised nearly all the culture of the city.

This isolation inspired the one book by which Amiel is still known, the Journal Intime, which, published after his death, obtained a European reputation. It was translated into English by Mary A. Ward at the instigation of Mark Pattison.

Although modest in volume of output, Amiel's mind was of no inferior quality, and his Journal gained a sympathy that the author had failed to obtain in his life. In addition to the Journal, he produced several volumes of poetry and wrote studies on Erasmus, Madame de Stael and other writers.

Common sense is the measure of the possible it is composed of experience and prevision it is calculation applied to life. experience

Truth is not only violated by falsehood it may be equally outraged by silence. truth

Learn to... be what you are, and learn to resign with a good grace all that you are not. being good

I'm not interested in age. People who tell me their age are silly. You're as old as you feel. aging

Everything you need for better future and success has already been written. And guess what? All you have to do is go to the library. the future & success

Society lives by faith, and develops by science. faith, science & society

The man who has no inner-life is a slave to his surroundings. life

He who asks of life nothing but the improvement of his own nature... is less liable than anyone else to miss and waste life. nature

An error is the more dangerous in proportion to the degree of truth which it contains. truth

There is no respect for others without humility in one's self. respect

Let us be true: this is the highest maxim of art and of life, the secret of eloquence and of virtue, and of all moral authority. art

Materialism coarsens and petrifies everything, making everything vulgar, and every truth false. truth

Sympathy is the first condition of criticism. sympathy

Man becomes man only by his intelligence, but he is man only by his heart. intelligence

To live we must conquer incessantly, we must have the courage to be happy. courage

Order is power. power

Woman is the salvation or the destruction of the family. She carries its destiny in the folds of her mantle. family

Every life is a profession of faith, and exercises an inevitable and silent influence. faith

Pure truth cannot be assimilated by the crowd it must be communicated by contagion. communication & truth

Music is harmony, harmony is perfection, perfection is our dream, and our dream is heaven. music

In health there is freedom. Health is the first of all liberties. freedom & health

Action and faith enslave thought, both of them in order not be troubled or inconvenienced by reflection, criticism, and doubt. faith

Uncertainty is the refuge of hope. hope

Destiny has two ways of crushing us - by refusing our wishes and by fulfilling them. the future

Henri Frederic Amiel Philosopher

St. Patrick's Day March 17, 2025