Gaston Bachelard (; ; 27 June 1884 – 16 October 1962) was a

French French (french: français(e), link=no) may refer to: * Something of, from, or related to France ** French language, which originated in France, and its various dialects and accents ** French people, a nation and ethnic group identified with Franc ...

philosopher A philosopher is a person who practices or investigates philosophy. The term ''philosopher'' comes from the grc, φιλόσοφος, , translit=philosophos, meaning 'lover of wisdom'. The coining of the term has been attributed to the Greek th ...

. He made contributions in the fields of

poetics Poetics is the theory of structure, form, and discourse within literature, and, in particular, within poetry. History The term ''poetics'' derives from the Ancient Greek ποιητικός ''poietikos'' "pertaining to poetry"; also "creative" an ...

and the

philosophy of science Philosophy of science is a branch of philosophy concerned with the foundations, methods, and implications of science. The central questions of this study concern what qualifies as science, the reliability of scientific theories, and the ultim ...

. To the latter, he introduced the concepts of ''epistemological obstacle'' and '' epistemological break'' (''obstacle épistémologique'' and ''rupture épistémologique''). He influenced many subsequent French philosophers, among them

Michel Foucault Paul-Michel Foucault (, ; ; 15 October 192625 June 1984) was a French philosopher, historian of ideas, writer, political activist, and literary critic. Foucault's theories primarily address the relationship between power and knowledge, and ho ...

Louis Althusser Louis Pierre Althusser (, ; ; 16 October 1918 – 22 October 1990) was a French Marxist philosopher. He was born in Algeria and studied at the École normale supérieure in Paris, where he eventually became Professor of Philosophy. Althusser ...

Dominique Lecourt Dominique Lecourt (; 5 February 1944 – 1 May 2022) was a French philosopher. He is known in the Anglophone world primarily for his work developing a materialist interpretation of the philosophy of science of Gaston Bachelard. Biography Leco ...

and

Jacques Derrida Jacques Derrida (; ; born Jackie Élie Derrida; See also . 15 July 1930 – 9 October 2004) was an Algerian-born French philosopher. He developed the philosophy of deconstruction, which he utilized in numerous texts, and which was developed th ...

, as well as the sociologists

Pierre Bourdieu Pierre Bourdieu (; 1 August 1930 – 23 January 2002) was a French sociologist and public intellectual. Bourdieu's contributions to the sociology of education, the theory of sociology, and sociology of aesthetics have achieved wide influence ...

and

Bruno Latour Bruno Latour (; 22 June 1947 – 9 October 2022) was a French philosopher, anthropologist and sociologist.Wheeler, Will. ''Bruno Latour: Documenting Human and Nonhuman Associations'' Critical Theory for Library and Information Science. Libraries ...

. For Bachelard, the scientific object should be constructed and therefore different from the positivist sciences; in other words,

information Information is an abstract concept that refers to that which has the power to inform. At the most fundamental level information pertains to the interpretation of that which may be sensed. Any natural process that is not completely random, ...

is in continuous construction.

Empiricism In philosophy, empiricism is an epistemological theory that holds that knowledge or justification comes only or primarily from sensory experience. It is one of several views within epistemology, along with rationalism and skepticism. Empir ...

and

rationalism In philosophy, rationalism is the epistemological view that "regards reason as the chief source and test of knowledge" or "any view appealing to reason as a source of knowledge or justification".Lacey, A.R. (1996), ''A Dictionary of Philosophy' ...

are not regarded as dualism or opposition but complementary, therefore studies of

a priori ("from the earlier") and ("from the later") are Latin phrases used in philosophy to distinguish types of knowledge, justification, or argument by their reliance on empirical evidence or experience. knowledge is independent from current ex ...

and

a posteriori ("from the earlier") and ("from the later") are Latin phrases used in philosophy to distinguish types of knowledge, justification, or argument by their reliance on empirical evidence or experience. knowledge is independent from current ex ...

, or in other words

reason Reason is the capacity of consciously applying logic by drawing conclusions from new or existing information, with the aim of seeking the truth. It is closely associated with such characteristically human activities as philosophy, science, lang ...

and

dialectic Dialectic ( grc-gre, διαλεκτική, ''dialektikḗ''; related to dialogue; german: Dialektik), also known as the dialectical method, is a discourse between two or more people holding different points of view about a subject but wishing ...

, are part of scientific research.

Life and work

Bachelard was a postal clerk in Bar-sur-Aube, and then studied

physics Physics is the natural science that studies matter, its fundamental constituents, its motion and behavior through space and time, and the related entities of energy and force. "Physical science is that department of knowledge which ...

and

chemistry Chemistry is the scientific study of the properties and behavior of matter. It is a natural science that covers the elements that make up matter to the compounds made of atoms, molecules and ions: their composition, structure, proper ...

before finally becoming interested in

philosophy Philosophy (from , ) is the systematized study of general and fundamental questions, such as those about existence, reason, knowledge, values, mind, and language. Such questions are often posed as problems to be studied or resolved. ...

. To obtain his doctorate ('' doctorat ès lettres'') in 1927, he wrote two theses: the main one, ''Essai sur la connaissance approchée'', under the direction of

Abel Rey Abel Rey (; 29 December 1873, Chalon-sur-Saône – 13 January 1940, Paris) was a French philosopher and historian of science. Abel Rey succeeded Gaston Milhaud as professor of the history of philosophy in its relation to science at the Sorbonne, ...

, and the complementary one, ''Étude sur l'évolution d'un problème de physique : la propagation thermique dans les solides'', supervised by Léon Brunschvicg. He first taught from 1902 to 1903 at the college of

Sézanne Sézanne () is a commune in the Marne department and Grand Est region in north-eastern France. Its inhabitants are called ''Sézannais''. Population Notable people * Leonie Aviat, Saint * Floresca Guépin (1813-1889), feminist, teacher, schoo ...

, but turned away from teaching to consider a career in

telegraphy Telegraphy is the long-distance transmission of messages where the sender uses symbolic codes, known to the recipient, rather than a physical exchange of an object bearing the message. Thus flag semaphore is a method of telegraphy, whereas ...

. Literary by training, he took the technological path before moving towards science and

mathematics Mathematics is an area of knowledge that includes the topics of numbers, formulas and related structures, shapes and the spaces in which they are contained, and quantities and their changes. These topics are represented in modern mathematics ...

. In particular, he was fascinated by the great discoveries of the end of the 19th century and the beginning of the 20th century ( radioactivity,

quantum In physics, a quantum (plural quanta) is the minimum amount of any physical entity ( physical property) involved in an interaction. The fundamental notion that a physical property can be "quantized" is referred to as "the hypothesis of quantizat ...

and

wave mechanics Wave mechanics may refer to: * the mechanics of waves * the ''wave equation'' in quantum physics, see Schrödinger equation See also * Quantum mechanics * Wave equation The (two-way) wave equation is a second-order linear partial different ...

, relativity,

electromagnetism In physics, electromagnetism is an interaction that occurs between particles with electric charge. It is the second-strongest of the four fundamental interactions, after the strong force, and it is the dominant force in the interactions o ...

and

wireless telegraphy Wireless telegraphy or radiotelegraphy is transmission of text messages by radio waves, analogous to electrical telegraphy using cables. Before about 1910, the term ''wireless telegraphy'' was also used for other experimental technologies for ...

). He was a professor at the

University of Dijon A university () is an institution of higher (or tertiary) education and research which awards academic degrees in several academic disciplines. Universities typically offer both undergraduate and postgraduate programs. In the United States, th ...

from 1930 to 1940 and then was appointed chair in the

history History (derived ) is the systematic study and the documentation of the human activity. The time period of event before the invention of writing systems is considered prehistory. "History" is an umbrella term comprising past events as well ...

and

at the

University of Paris , image_name = Coat of arms of the University of Paris.svg , image_size = 150px , caption = Coat of Arms , latin_name = Universitas magistrorum et scholarium Parisiensis , motto = ''Hic et ubique terrarum'' (Latin) , mottoeng = Here and a ...

. In 1958, he became a member of the Royal Academy of Science, Letters and Fine Arts of Belgium.

Bachelard's psychology of science

Bachelard's studies of the history and philosophy of science in such works as ''Le nouvel esprit scientifique'' ("The New Scientific Spirit", 1934) and ''La formation de l'esprit scientifique'' ("The Formation of the Scientific Mind", 1938) were based on his vision of historical

epistemology Epistemology (; ), or the theory of knowledge, is the branch of philosophy concerned with knowledge. Epistemology is considered a major subfield of philosophy, along with other major subfields such as ethics, logic, and metaphysics. Epi ...

as a kind of

psychoanalysis PsychoanalysisFrom Greek: + . is a set of theories and therapeutic techniques"What is psychoanalysis? Of course, one is supposed to answer that it is many things — a theory, a research method, a therapy, a body of knowledge. In what might ...

of the scientific mind. In the

English-speaking world Speakers of English are also known as Anglophones, and the countries where English is natively spoken by the majority of the population are termed the '' Anglosphere''. Over two billion people speak English , making English the largest languag ...

, the connection Bachelard made between

psychology Psychology is the science, scientific study of mind and behavior. Psychology includes the study of consciousness, conscious and Unconscious mind, unconscious phenomena, including feelings and thoughts. It is an academic discipline of immens ...

and the history of science has been little understood. Bachelard demonstrated how the progress of science could be blocked by certain types of mental patterns, creating the concept of ''obstacle épistémologique'' ("epistemological obstacle"). One task of epistemology is to make clear the mental patterns at use in science, in order to help scientists overcome the obstacles to knowledge. Another goal is to “give back to human reason its function of agitation and aggressiveness” as Bachelard put it in ‘L'engagement rationaliste’ (1972).

Epistemological breaks: the discontinuity of scientific progress

Bachelard was critical of

Auguste Comte Isidore Marie Auguste François Xavier Comte (; 19 January 1798 – 5 September 1857) was a French philosopher and writer who formulated the doctrine of positivism. He is often regarded as the first philosopher of science in the modern sense ...

positivism Positivism is an empiricist philosophical theory that holds that all genuine knowledge is either true by definition or positive—meaning ''a posteriori'' facts derived by reason and logic from sensory experience.John J. Macionis, Linda M. G ...

, which considered science as a continual

progress Progress is the movement towards a refined, improved, or otherwise desired state. In the context of progressivism, it refers to the proposition that advancements in technology, science, and social organization have resulted, and by extension w ...

. To Bachelard, scientific developments such as Einstein's

theory of relativity The theory of relativity usually encompasses two interrelated theories by Albert Einstein: special relativity and general relativity, proposed and published in 1905 and 1915, respectively. Special relativity applies to all physical phenomena in ...

demonstrated the discontinuous nature of the history of sciences. Thus models that framed scientific development as continuous, such as that of Comte and

Émile Meyerson Émile Meyerson (; 12 February 1859 – 2 December 1933) was a Polish-born French epistemologist, chemist, and philosopher of science. Meyerson was born in Lublin, Poland. He died in his sleep of a heart attack at the age of 74. Biography Meyer ...

, seemed simplistic and erroneous to Bachelard. Through his concept of "epistemological break", Bachelard underlined the discontinuity at work in the history of sciences. However the term "epistemological break" itself is almost never used by Bachelard but became famous through

. He showed that new theories integrated old theories in new

paradigms In science and philosophy, a paradigm () is a distinct set of concepts or thought patterns, including theories, research methods, postulates, and standards for what constitute legitimate contributions to a field. Etymology ''Paradigm'' comes f ...

, changing the sense of concepts (for instance, the concept of

mass Mass is an intrinsic property of a body. It was traditionally believed to be related to the quantity of matter in a physical body, until the discovery of the atom and particle physics. It was found that different atoms and different ele ...

, used by Newton and

Einstein Albert Einstein ( ; ; 14 March 1879 – 18 April 1955) was a German-born Theoretical physics, theoretical physicist, widely acknowledged to be one of the greatest and most influential physicists of all time. Einstein is best known for d ...

in two different senses). Thus,

non-Euclidean geometry In mathematics, non-Euclidean geometry consists of two geometries based on axioms closely related to those that specify Euclidean geometry. As Euclidean geometry lies at the intersection of metric geometry and affine geometry, non-Euclidean g ...

did not contradict

Euclidean geometry Euclidean geometry is a mathematical system attributed to ancient Greek mathematician Euclid, which he described in his textbook on geometry: the '' Elements''. Euclid's approach consists in assuming a small set of intuitively appealing axioms ...

, but integrated it into a larger framework.

Teacher and philosopher

Discharged in March 1919 and unemployed, Bachelard searched and obtained a job in October as a professor of

and

at the college of Bar-sur-Aube. His wife, Jeanne Rossi, a schoolteacher he had married in 1914, was transferred to

Voigny Voigny () is a commune in the Aube department in north-central France. Population See also *Communes of the Aube department The following is a list of the 431 communes of the Aube department of France. The communes cooperate in the foll ...

. His daughter Suzanne was born on 18 October. He travelled the six kilometers to Bar-sur-Aube on foot every day, was provided a very useful education, and enrolled for a

degree. Jeanne died in June 1920, and Bachelard raised his daughter alone. At the age of thirty-six he began a completely unexpected philosophical career. Starting decisively in 1922, he acquired the title of

Doctor of Letters Doctor of Letters (D.Litt., Litt.D., Latin: ' or ') is a terminal degree in the humanities that, depending on the country, is a higher doctorate after the Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) degree or equivalent to a higher doctorate, such as the Docto ...

at the Sorbonne in 1927. His theses, supported by

and Léon Brunschvicg, were published. He became a

lecturer Lecturer is an academic rank within many universities, though the meaning of the term varies somewhat from country to country. It generally denotes an academic expert who is hired to teach on a full- or part-time basis. They may also conduct re ...

at the Faculty of Letters of

Dijon Dijon (, , ) (dated) * it, Digione * la, Diviō or * lmo, Digion is the prefecture of the Côte-d'Or department and of the Bourgogne-Franche-Comté region in northeastern France. the commune had a population of 156,920. The earlie ...

from October 1927, but remained at the college of Bar-sur-Aube until 1930. He even participated in the municipal elections of 1929 to defend the project of a college for all. He nevertheless accepted a professorship at the University of Burgundy when his daughter Suzanne entered the second degree. He did the same when he was appointed to the Sorbonne as a university professor and director of the Institute for the History of Science and Technology in 1940, accompanying his daughter in her higher educations. On 25 August 1937 he was made a Knight of the

Legion of Honor The National Order of the Legion of Honour (french: Ordre national de la Légion d'honneur), formerly the Royal Order of the Legion of Honour ('), is the highest French order of merit, both military and civil. Established in 1802 by Napoleon ...

. He became a professor at the Sorbonne from 1940 to 1954. He held the chair of the history and philosophy of science, where he succeeded Abel Rey, director of the Institute of History and

Philosophy of Science Philosophy of science is a branch of philosophy concerned with the foundations, methods, and implications of science. The central questions of this study concern what qualifies as science, the reliability of scientific theories, and the ultim ...

and Technology (IHST), which in 1992 became IHPST.

The role of epistemology in science

Bachelard was a rationalist in the Cartesian sense, although he recommended his "non-Cartesian epistemology" as a replacement for the more standard Cartesian epistemology. He compared "scientific knowledge" to ordinary knowledge in the way we deal with it, and saw error as only illusion: "Scientifically, one thinks truth as the historical rectification of a persistent error, and experiments as correctives for an initial, common illusion (''illusion première'')." The role of

is to show the history of the (scientific) production of

concepts Concepts are defined as abstract ideas. They are understood to be the fundamental building blocks of the concept behind principles, thoughts and beliefs. They play an important role in all aspects of cognition. As such, concepts are studied by s ...

. Those concepts are not just theoretical propositions: they are simultaneously abstract and

concrete Concrete is a composite material composed of fine and coarse aggregate bonded together with a fluid cement (cement paste) that hardens (cures) over time. Concrete is the second-most-used substance in the world after water, and is the most wid ...

, pervading technical and pedagogical activity. This explains why "The electric bulb is an object of scientific thought… an example of an abstract-concrete object." To understand the way it works, one has to take the detour of scientific knowledge. Epistemology is thus not a general philosophy that aims at justifying scientific reasoning. Instead, it produces regional histories of science.

Shifts in scientific perspective

Bachelard never saw how seemingly irrational theories often simply represented a drastic shift in scientific perspective. For instance, he never claimed that the theory of probabilities was just another way of complexifying reality through a deepening of rationality (even though critics like Lord Kelvin found this theory irrational). One of his main theses in ''The New Scientific Mind'' was that modern sciences had replaced the classical

ontology In metaphysics, ontology is the philosophy, philosophical study of being, as well as related concepts such as existence, Becoming (philosophy), becoming, and reality. Ontology addresses questions like how entities are grouped into Category ...

of the substance with an "ontology of relations", which could be assimilated to something like a

process philosophy Process philosophy, also ontology of becoming, or processism, is an approach to philosophy that identifies processes, changes, or shifting relationships as the only true elements of the ordinary, everyday real world. In opposition to the classi ...

. For instance, the physical concepts of matter and rays correspond, according to him, to the metaphysical concepts of the thing and of movement; but whereas classical philosophy considered both as distinct, and the thing as ontologically real, modern science can not distinguish matter from rays. It is thus impossible to examine an immobile thing, which was precisely the condition for knowledge according to the classical

theory of knowledge Epistemology (; ), or the theory of knowledge, is the branch of philosophy concerned with knowledge. Epistemology is considered a major subfield of philosophy, along with other major subfields such as ethics, logic, and metaphysics. Ep ...

(Becoming being impossible to be known, in accordance with

Aristotle Aristotle (; grc-gre, Ἀριστοτέλης ''Aristotélēs'', ; 384–322 BC) was a Greek philosopher and polymath during the Classical period in Ancient Greece. Taught by Plato, he was the founder of the Peripatetic school of ...

and

Plato Plato ( ; grc-gre, Πλάτων ; 428/427 or 424/423 – 348/347 BC) was a Greek philosopher born in Athens during the Classical period in Ancient Greece. He founded the Platonist school of thought and the Academy, the first institution ...

's theories of knowledge). In non-Cartesian epistemology, there is no "simple substance" as in Cartesianism, but only complex objects built by theories and experiments and continuously improved (VI, 4).

Intuition Intuition is the ability to acquire knowledge without recourse to conscious reasoning. Different fields use the word "intuition" in very different ways, including but not limited to: direct access to unconscious knowledge; unconscious cognition; ...

is therefore not primitive, but built (VI, 2). These themes led Bachelard to support a sort of

constructivist epistemology Constructivism is a view in the philosophy of science that maintains that scientific knowledge is constructed by the scientific community, which seeks to measure and construct models of the natural world. According to the constructivist, natur ...

Other academic interests

In addition to epistemology, Bachelard's work deals with many other topics, including poetry, dreams,

, and the

imagination Imagination is the production or simulation of novel objects, sensations, and ideas in the mind without any immediate input of the senses. Stefan Szczelkun characterises it as the forming of experiences in one's mind, which can be re-creations ...

. ''The Psychoanalysis of Fire'' (1938) and ''

The Poetics of Space ''The Poetics of Space'' (french: La Poétique de l'Espace) is a 1958 book about architecture by the French philosopher Gaston Bachelard. The book is considered an important work about art. Commentators have compared Bachelard's views to those of ...

'' (1958) are among the most popular of his works:

Jean-Paul Sartre Jean-Paul Charles Aymard Sartre (, ; ; 21 June 1905 – 15 April 1980) was one of the key figures in the philosophy of existentialism (and phenomenology), a French playwright, novelist, screenwriter, political activist, biographer, and lite ...

cites the former and Bachelard's ''Water and Dreams'' in his ''

Being and Nothingness ''Being and Nothingness: An Essay on Phenomenological Ontology'' (french: L'Être et le néant : Essai d'ontologie phénoménologique), sometimes published with the subtitle ''A Phenomenological Essay on Ontology'', is a 1943 book by the philosoph ...

'' (1943), and the latter had a wide reception in

architectural theory Architecture is the art and technique of designing and building, as distinguished from the skills associated with construction. It is both the process and the product of sketching, conceiving, planning, designing, and constructing buildings ...

circles, and continues to be influential in literary theory and creative writing. In philosophy, this nocturnal side of his work is developed by his student Gilbert Durand.

Philosopher and citizen

Feminist philosopher

It should be noted, in his singular career, the concern which he had to ensure the development of his daughter, so much the time was marked by the cleavage of the sexes and the functions. Going against sexist stereotypes, he wanted to make his daughter a scholar. Suzanne would be a

mathematician A mathematician is someone who uses an extensive knowledge of mathematics in their work, typically to solve mathematical problems. Mathematicians are concerned with numbers, data, quantity, structure, space, models, and change. History On ...

and

and would be able to develop phenomenological and

epistemological Epistemology (; ), or the theory of knowledge, is the branch of philosophy concerned with knowledge. Epistemology is considered a major subfield of philosophy, along with other major subfields such as ethics, logic, and metaphysics. Episte ...

research of high standing.Gaston Bachelard: biography, activities, main ideas
public-welfare.com

Bibliography

His works include: * ''Essai sur la connaissance approchée'' (1928) * ''Étude sur l'évolution d'un problème de physique: la propagation thermique dans les solides'' (1928) * ''La valeur inductive de la relativité'' (1929) * ''La pluralisme cohérent de la chimie moderne'' (1932) * ''L'Intuition de l'instant'' (1932) * ''Les intuitions atomistiques: essai de classification'' (1933) * ''Le nouvel esprit scientifique'' (1934) * ''La dialectique de la durée'' (1936) * ''L'expérience de l'espace dans la physique contemporaine'' (1937) * ''La formation de l'esprit scientifique: contribution à une psychanalyse de la connaissance objective'' (1938) * ''La psychanalyse du feu'' (1938) (''The Psychoanalysis of Fire'', 1964) * ''La philosophie du non: essai d'une philosophie du nouvel esprit scientifique'' (1940), publisher Pellicanolibri, 1978 * ''L'eau et les rêves'' (1942) (''Water and Dreams'', 1983) * ''L'air et les songes'' (1943) (''Air and Dreams'', 1988) * ''La terre et les rêveries de la volonté'' (1948) (''Earth and Reveries of Will'', 2002) * ''La terre et les rêveries du repos'' (1948) (''Earth and Reveries of Repose'', 2011) * ''Le Rationalisme appliqué'' (1949) * ''L'activité rationaliste de la physique contemporaine'' (1951) * ''Le matérialisme rationnel'' (1953) * '' La poétique de l'espace'' (1957) (''The Poetics of Space'', 1969 and 2014) * ''La poétique de la rêverie'' (1960) (''The Poetics of Reverie: Childhood, Language, and the Cosmos'', 1969) * ''La flamme d'une chandelle'' (1961) * ''L'engagement rationaliste'' (1972)

English translations

Though most of Bachelard's major works on poetics have been translated into English, only about half of his works on the philosophy of science have been translated. *''The Philosophy of No: A Philosophy of the New Scientific Mind.'' Orion Press, New York, 1968. Translation by G.C. Waterston. (''La philosophie du non'') *''The New Scientific Spirit.'' Beacon Press, Boston, 1985. Translation by A. Goldhammer. (''Le nouvel esprit scientifique'') *''Dialectic of Duration.'' Clinamen, Bolton, 2000. Translation by M. McAllester Jones. (''La dialectique de la durée'') *''The Formation of the Scientific Mind.'' Clinamen, Bolton, 2002. Translation by M. McAllester Jones. (''La formation de l'esprit scientifique'') * ''Intuition of the Instant. ''Northwestern University Press, 2013. Translation by Eileen Rizo-Patron (''L'intuition de l'instant'') *''Atomistic Intuitions''. State University of New York Press, 2018. Translation by Roch C. Smith (''Intuitions atomistiques'')

References

Sources

, ''L’épistémologie historique de Gaston Bachelard'' (1969). Vrin, Paris, 11e édition augmentée, 2002. * Dominique Lecourt, ''Pour une critique de l’épistémologie : Bachelard, Canguilhem, Foucault'' (1972, réed. Maspero, Paris, 5e éd. 1980). * D. Lecourt, ''Marxism and Epistemology: Bachelard, Canguilhem and Foucault'', New Left Books, London (1975). * Dominique Lecourt, ''Bachelard, Epistémologie, textes choisis'' (1971). PUF, Paris, 6e édition, 1996. * Dominique Lecourt, ''Bachelard, le jour et la nuit'', Grasset, Paris, 1974. * Didier Gil, ''Bachelard et la culture scientifique'', Presses Universitaires de France, 1993. * Didier Gil, ''Autour de Bachelard – esprit et matière, un siècle français de philosophie des sciences (1867–1962)'', Les Belles Lettres, Encre marine, 2010. *''Hommage à Gaston Bachelard. Etudes de philosophie et d'histoire des sciences'', by C. Bouligand, G. Canguilhem, P. Costabel, F. Courtes, François Dagognet, M. Daumas, Gilles Granger, J. Hyppolite, R. Martin, R. Poirier and R. Taton *
Actes du Colloque sur Bachelard de 1970
' ( Colloque de Cerisy). *
L'imaginaire du concept: Bachelard, une épistémologie de la pureté
' by Françoise Gaillard, MLN, Vol. 101, No. 4, French Issue (Sep 1986), pp. 895–911. *''Gaston Bachelard ou le rêve des origines'', by Jean-Luc Pouliquen, L'Harmattan, Paris, 2007.

External links

Website of the Association of Friends of Gaston Bachelard

Centre Gaston Bachelard de Recherche sur l'Imaginaire et la Rationalité
Université de Bourgogne

{{DEFAULTSORT:Bachelard, Gaston 1884 births 1962 deaths 20th-century essayists 20th-century French essayists 20th-century French non-fiction writers 20th-century French philosophers 20th-century French poets 20th-century male writers 20th-century poets Architectural theoreticians Architecture writers Chevaliers of the Légion d'honneur Continental philosophers Cultural critics Epistemologists Feminist theorists French essayists French feminists French literary theorists French male non-fiction writers French male poets French military personnel of World War I Historians of philosophy Historians of science Historians of technology History of literature History of philosophy History of poetry History of psychology History of science Intellectual history Male feminists Members of the Royal Academy of Belgium Metaphysicians Ontologists People from Bar-sur-Aube Phenomenologists Philosophers of art Philosophers of culture Philosophers of education Philosophers of history Philosophers of literature Philosophers of mathematics Philosophers of mind Philosophers of psychology Philosophers of science Philosophers of technology Philosophy academics Philosophy writers Rationalists Rhetoric theorists Social critics Social philosophers Sociologists of science University of Burgundy faculty University of Paris alumni University of Paris faculty