Alexander Koyre French philosopher, historian of science and philosophy, teacher Date of Birth: 29.08.1892 Country: France

Content:

1. Early Life and Education
2. Education
3. Military Service and Return to Paris
4. Academic Connections
5. Academic Career
6. International Recognition
7. World War II and Diplomacy
8. Post-War Life
9. Late Career Achievements
10. Intellectual Contributions
11. History of Science
12. Notable Publications

Early Life and Education

Birth and Childhood

Alexander Koyré was born in Taganrog, Russia, in 1892 into a Jewish family.

Education

He received his secondary education in the gymnasia of Tiflis and Rostov-on-Don. In 1908, he moved to Göttingen, where he studied philosophy under Edmund Husserl and mathematics under David Hilbert. For the completion of his education, Koyré relocated to Paris, where he was caught by the outbreak of the First World War.

Military Service and Return to Paris

Enlistment and Combat

Koyré volunteered for the French army and later transferred to the Russian regiment, fighting on the southwestern front of Russia until the autumn of 1917.

Academic Connections

After the war, Koyré returned to Paris, where he had established strong ties within academic circles.

Academic Career

Teaching and Research

From 1924, Koyré lectured at the École pratique des hautes études (EPHE), initially as an assistant professor and later as a "directeur de recherches." His doctoral dissertation (1929) explored the work of the German philosopher-mystic Jakob Böhme.

International Recognition

Koyré actively participated in international academia, publishing extensively and delivering numerous lectures in Paris and beyond. Notably, from 1934 to 1940, he served as a visiting professor at Cairo University.

World War II and Diplomacy

Caught in Cairo
The outbreak of the Second World War found Koyré in Cairo.
Collaboration with the Resistance

After returning briefly to Paris in 1940, Koyré and his wife returned to Cairo. During a visit by Charles de Gaulle, the Resistance movement entrusted Koyré with a diplomatic mission to the United States.

Post-War Life

Professorship in Princeton

In 1956, Koyré was appointed to the Institute for Advanced Study in Princeton, New Jersey. He thereafter spent six months of each year in Paris and Princeton, where he was relieved of administrative duties.

Late Career Achievements

In the late 1950s, Koyré served as permanent secretary of the International Academy of the History of Science. In 1962, illness forced him to withdraw from traveling to Princeton.

Intellectual Contributions

Early Philosophical Work

Koyré's early works focused on the history of philosophical and religious thought. He examined the idea of God in Saint Anselm and René Descartes, challenging Descartes' traditional image.

History of Science

In the 1930s, Koyré shifted his research interest to the history of science. He explored the interplay between science and philosophy, particularly in the development of scientific and philosophical concepts during the Renaissance and early modern period.

Notable Publications

Koyré's most significant works include "From the Closed World to the Infinite Universe" (1957), which traces the evolution of cosmology, and "The Astronomical Revolution: Copernicus, Kepler, Borelli" (1961).

Philosophers

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