PhilosophersCharles-Irénée Castel, abbé de Saint-Pierre
Charles-Irénée Castel, abbé de Saint-Pierre
In 1713 he proposed a permanent union of the European states to guarantee peace.
Liberalism1658 · 1743 FranceSaint-Pierre-Église (Normandy)
Life
Charles-Irénée Castel, abbé de Saint-Pierre (1658-1743), born in Normandy, was a cleric and writer, a member of the Académie française until his expulsion in 1718. He is known for his Project for Perpetual Peace in Europe (1713), which proposes a permanent union of European states with common arbitration to prevent war. Rousseau and Kant would read him.
Main works
1713
Project for Perpetual Peace in Europe
Proposes a permanent alliance of European princes and a common court to settle their disputes.
1718
Discourse on the Polysynody
Criticises Louis XIV's personal rule and proposes government by councils; this text led to his expulsion from the Académie.