Buchez

Buchez, PHILIPPE BENJAMIN JOSEPH, a French physician and publicist, was born 31st March 1796, at Mortagne in Ardennes. After his studies at Paris, he took part in several of the secret plots against the Bourbons, and as a St Simonist edited for some time the communist journal, Le Producteur. After the revolution of 1830, he established and conducted the journal L'Européen, as an organ of Neo-Catholicism, and, in concert with M. Roux Lavergne, began the Histoire Parlementaire de la Révolution Française (40 vols. 1833-38). His Introduction à la Science de l'Histoire had already appeared in 1833, and was followed by his Essai d'un traité complct de Philosophie, au point de vue du Catholicesme et du Progrès (3 vols. 1839-40). After the revolution of February 1848, Buchez was made president of the National Assembly; but his want of energy during the disturbance of May 15 cost him all political influence. On the establishment of the Empire, he returned to his studies. He died 12th August 1865.