Raymond Aron French philosopher, political scientist, sociologist and publicist. Date of Birth: 14.03.1905 Country: France

1. Biography of Raymond Aron
2. Early Life and Education
3. World War II and Political Engagement
4. Journalism and Later Years
5. Death

Biography of Raymond Aron

Raymond Aron was a French philosopher, political scientist, sociologist, and journalist. He was known for his friendship with Jean-Paul Sartre, although they often disagreed and argued, and for his skepticism towards post-war ideology, which was inspired by the works of Marxists. His most famous work was the book "The Opium of the Intellectuals," published in 1955, which journalist Matthew Price called the "most important literary work of anti-communism."

Early Life and Education

Raymond Aron was born on March 14, 1905, in Paris, France. He was the son of an assimilated Jewish lawyer who lived a secular life. Aron studied at the École normale supérieure, where he met Jean-Paul Sartre, who became his lifelong friend and intellectual opponent. In 1928, Aron ranked first in his philosophy exam for the agrégation degree, while Sartre failed the exam. In 1930, Aron obtained his doctorate in the history of philosophy from his school.

World War II and Political Engagement

In Berlin, Aron witnessed the Nazis burning books, which led to his lifelong aversion to totalitarian systems. In 1938, he participated in the Paris colloquium organized by French philosopher Louis Rougier, named after American journalist Walter Lippmann. In 1939, when World War II began, Aron was already a professor of social philosophy at the University of Toulouse. He left the university and joined the French Resistance movement "la France Combattante" led by Charles de Gaulle. Aron became the editor of the newspaper "France Libre" (Free France). After the war, Aron returned to Paris to teach sociology at the National School of Administration and the Paris Institute of Political Studies. From 1955 to 1968, he taught at the Sorbonne, and after 1970, at the Collège de France.

Journalism and Later Years

Throughout his life, Raymond Aron worked as a journalist. In 1947, he became an influential columnist at "Le Figaro," a position he held for 30 years until he moved to the news magazine "L'Express," for which he wrote a political column until his death. In 1953, he formed a friendship with the young American philosopher Allan Bloom, who taught at the Sorbonne. In 1960, Aron was elected as an honorary foreign member of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences. After the war, he criticized Jean-Paul Sartre and Marxist ideology, but he did not always support Charles de Gaulle or other right-wing political movements.

Death

Raymond Aron passed away from a heart attack in Paris on October 17, 1983.