Buffier, Claude

Buffier, Claude a Jesuit philosopher and voluminous writer, was born of French parents in Poland May 25, 1661, but brought up at Rouen. He died at Paris May 17, 1737. He was associated with the writers of the Memoires de Trevoux, and left an immense number of other works on a variety of subjects, of which the most important is Cours des Sciences (Par. 1732, fol.), a work of vast learning, and showing a luminous power of philosophical analysis. Sir James Mackintosh (Progress of Ethical Philosophy, § 5) speaks of the just reputation of Buffier's Treatise on First Truths (contained in the Cours des Sciences), and adds that his philosophical writings are remarkable for perfect clearness of expression — Hoefer, Biog. Generale, 7, 733.