Background
Dupréel, Eugène was born in 1879 in Malines, Belgium.
philosopher university professor
Dupréel, Eugène was born in 1879 in Malines, Belgium.
Changed to Philosophy after initial studies in History.
He has been professor at the Université libre de Bruxelles from 1907 to 1950, teaching logic, metaphysics, greek philosophy, moral philosophy and sociological theory. He developed an ethical theory and a theory of knowledge deeply influenced by sociology, and worked closely with the Institut de Sociologie Solvay. Leader of the "École de Bruxelles", he had a major influence on the argumentation theorist Chaïm Perelman and thus has been instrumental in the renewal of rhetoric.
Underlying Dupréel’s philosophy are some principles derived from the Hegelianism of his teacher, René Berthelot. Most notable are the beliefs that concepts are always related to their contraries; that values are multiple and in tension; that progress occurs through the working out of tension. A notable application of is his view of philosophy itself, which he regarded as open: by this he means that reason itself may progress, as a result of trial and error. A second major influence on his thought was the sociology of the Solvay Institute, with which he was deeply involved. These two major influences shape the value theory of the major works of 1932 and 1939. Society evolves from highly conformist primitive groups, in which ‘moral’ behaviour is merely custom-following, to a modern, individualistic social order. Modern societies are marked by a multiplicity of groups and individuals with their own value-sets, which have differing degrees of compatibility. The natural state of affairs in such societies is one of continual moral tension, conflict, debate and accommodation, all of which conditions are precarious. Unsurprisingly, Dupréel had little sympathy with philosophies or political systems which propose a universally valid single value system, notably Kantianism, pragmatism or totalitarian systems. However, he clearly did favour one value above others: reasonableness or accommodation—the response of a non-fanatic to the fact of the plurality of values.
Royal Academy of Science, Letters and Fine Arts of Belgium.