Joseph Marie, baron de Gérando, born ''Joseph Marie Degérando'' (29 February 1772 in

Lyon Lyon (Franco-Provençal: ''Liyon'') is a city in France. It is located at the confluence of the rivers Rhône and Saône, to the northwest of the French Alps, southeast of Paris, north of Marseille, southwest of Geneva, Switzerland, north ...

France France, officially the French Republic, is a country located primarily in Western Europe. Overseas France, Its overseas regions and territories include French Guiana in South America, Saint Pierre and Miquelon in the Atlantic Ocean#North Atlan ...

– 10 November 1842 in

Paris Paris () is the Capital city, capital and List of communes in France with over 20,000 inhabitants, largest city of France. With an estimated population of 2,048,472 residents in January 2025 in an area of more than , Paris is the List of ci ...

), was a French jurist,

philanthropist Philanthropy is a form of altruism that consists of "private initiatives for the public good, focusing on quality of life". Philanthropy contrasts with business initiatives, which are private initiatives for private good, focusing on material ...

and

philosopher Philosophy ('love of wisdom' in Ancient Greek) is a systematic study of general and fundamental questions concerning topics like existence, reason, knowledge, Value (ethics and social sciences), value, mind, and language. It is a rational an ...

Italian Italian(s) may refer to: * Anything of, from, or related to the people of Italy over the centuries ** Italians, a Romance ethnic group related to or simply a citizen of the Italian Republic or Italian Kingdom ** Italian language, a Romance languag ...

descent. He is most remembered for his 1804 book ''Histoire comparée des systèmes de philosophie, considérés relativement aux principes des connaissances humaines'' (''Comparative History of Philosophical Systems, Considered in Relation to the Principles of Human Knowledge'') as well as his 1820 study of benevolent activity, ''Le visiteur du pauvre'' (''The visitor to the poor''). He influenced

Henry David Thoreau Henry David Thoreau (born David Henry Thoreau; July 12, 1817May 6, 1862) was an American naturalist, essayist, poet, and philosopher. A leading Transcendentalism, transcendentalist, he is best known for his book ''Walden'', a reflection upon sim ...

Margaret Fuller Sarah Margaret Fuller (May 23, 1810 – July 19, 1850), sometimes referred to as Margaret Fuller Ossoli, was an American journalist, editor, critic, translator, and women's rights advocate associated with the American transcendentalism movemen ...

, and especially

Ralph Waldo Emerson Ralph Waldo Emerson (May 25, 1803April 27, 1882), who went by his middle name Waldo, was an American essayist, lecturer, philosopher, minister, abolitionism, abolitionist, and poet who led the Transcendentalism, Transcendentalist movement of th ...

who used his philosophical framework extensively in support of his own first book ''Nature''.

Main writings

*''Des Signes et de l'Art de penser considérés dans leurs rapports mutuels'', 4 vol., 1799-1800 Texte en ligne 1234
/small> *''De la Génération des connaissances humaines, mémoire qui a partagé le prix de l'Académie de Berlin sur la question suivante : Démontrer d'une manière incontestable l'origine de toutes nos connaissances...'', 1802. New edition in ''Corpus des œuvres de philosophie en langue française'', Paris, Fayard, 1990 *''Considération sur les diverses méthodes à suivre dans l'observation des peuples sauvages'', 1800, engl. ''The observation of savage peoples'', translated from the French by F. C. T. Moore, with a preface by

E. E. Evans-Pritchard Sir Edward Evan Evans-Pritchard FBA FRAI (21 September 1902 – 11 September 1973) was an English anthropologist who was instrumental in the development of social anthropology. He was Professor of Social Anthropology at the University of Ox ...

. London, Routledge & K. Paul, 1969. *''Le Visiteur du pauvre'', 1824. New Edition : Jean-Michel Place, Paris, 1989. Texte en ligne
/small>, engl. ''visitor of the poor'' translated from the French of the baron Degerando ; by a Lady of Boston ; with and introduction by Joseph Tuckerman. Boston : Hilliard, Gray, Little, and Wilkins, 1832. *''Histoire comparée des systèmes de philosophie, relativement aux principes des connaissances humaines'', 4 vol., 1822 Texte en ligne 1234
/small> *''Du Perfectionnement moral, ou de l'Éducation de soi-même'', 2 vol., 1824, engl. ''Self-education ; or, The means and art of moral progress'', translated from the French of M. le Baron Degerando by Elizabeth Palmer Peabody. Boston, Carter and Hendee, 1830. *''De l'Éducation des sourds-muets de naissance'', 2 vol., 1827 Texte en ligne 12
/small> *''Institutes du droit administratif français, ou Éléments du code administratif, réunis et mis en ordre'', 6 vol., 1829-1836 Texte en ligne : Supplément
/small> *''De la Bienfaisance publique'', 2 vol., 1839 Texte en ligne 12
/small> *''Des Progrès de l'industrie, considérés dans leurs rapports avec la moralité de la classe ouvrière'', 1841 *''Histoire de la philosophie moderne, à partir de la renaissance des lettres jusqu'à la fin du XVIIIe siècle'', 4 vol., 1847 Texte en ligne
/small> *''Les Bons Exemples, nouvelle morale en action'', avec

Benjamin Delessert Jules Paul Benjamin Delessert (14 February 1773 – 1 March 1847) was a French banker and naturalist. He was an honorary member of the Académie des Sciences and many species were named from his natural history collections. Biography He was bor ...

, 1858 Texte en ligne
/small>

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Gerando, Joseph Marie, Baron De 18th-century French philosophers 19th-century French philosophers French philanthropists Conseil d'État (France) Joseph Marie, baron de 1772 births 1842 deaths Coppet group Fellows of the Royal Society of Edinburgh French legal scholars French educational theorists French people of Italian descent Burials at Père Lachaise Cemetery French male non-fiction writers Members of the Conseil d'État (France)