Albert Camus was a French philosopher and the second-youngest recipient of the Nobel Prize in Literature. His philosophical views contributed to the rise of absurdism, a philosophical concept. Also a prolific writer, Albert Camus had an illustrious literary career; most of his philosophical essays and novels are still influential.
Jean-Jacques Rousseau was a Genevan philosopher, composer, and writer. His political philosophy influenced aspects of the French Revolution. He also helped develop modern economic, political, and educational thought. His writing inspired a transformation in French drama and poetry. His works also influenced such writers around the world as Tolstoy. His works as a composer were acknowledged by composers like Mozart.
French philosopher Michel de Montaigne was a significant figure of the French Renaissance in the 16th century. He is credited for popularizing the essay as a literary genre. His massive collection of essays was published in the volume Essais. His work had a direct influence on Western writers, including René Descartes, Francis Bacon, Blaise Pascal, and Voltaire.
French Enlightenment political philosopher, historian, judge, and man of letters Montesquieu remains the main source of the separation of powers system that is followed in many constitutions across the globe. His treatise The Spirit of the Laws on political theory greatly influenced work of many others, including drafting of the U.S. Constitution by the founding fathers of the United States.
Jacques Derrida was a French philosopher remembered for developing deconstruction, a form of semiotic analysis. Derrida is one of the most influential figures associated with postmodern philosophy and post-structuralism. He also had a major influence on academic disciplines like philosophy, law, political theory, anthropology, applied linguistics, and historiography. He also influenced music, art criticism, art, and architecture.
Denis Diderot revolutionized the Age of Enlightenment as the co-founder of Encyclopédie, which was banned for questioning religion. He had flirted with the idea of joining the theater and becoming a priest, and even studied law, but later devoted himself to languages, literature, and philosophy.
Georges Bataille was a French intellectual and philosopher best remembered for his work in various fields, such as philosophy, sociology, history of art, anthropology, literature, and consumerism. His work would later have a huge impact on subsequent schools of social theory and philosophy. Also a prolific writer, Georges Bataille wrote on subjects like mysticism, erotism, transgression, and surrealism.
French philosopher, Henri Bergson, is remembered for his contribution to the tradition of continental philosophy. His works were considered extremely influential, especially during the first half of the 20th century. He received the Nobel Prize in Literature (1927) and Grand-Croix de la Legion d'honneur (1930). He was a simple man who led a humble life despite his great achievements.
Albert Schweitzer was an Alsatian polymath who won the Nobel Peace Prize in 1952 for his philosophical work, Reverence for Life. He is credited with founding the Albert Schweitzer Hospital, which was a direct result of his philosophical expression. Schweitzer is also credited with influencing the Organ reform movement, which began in the mid-20th-century.
French diplomat and political scientist Alexis de Tocqueville is best remembered for his written works The Old Regime and the Revolution and Democracy in America. He was part of French politics, primarily during the July Monarchy and the Second Republic. He had been the minister of foreign affairs briefly.
![Jean Baudrillard Jean Baudrillard](http://www.thefamouspeople.com/profiles/thumbs/jean-baudrillard-1777-1.jpg)
Renowned sociologist and cultural theorist Jean Baudrillard is remembered for introducing concepts of hyperreality and simulacrum. Initially a teacher of German literature in schools, he later taught sociology at Paris X Nanterre. He coined the phrase the desert of the real, which was later used in the film The Matrix.
![Maurice Merleau-Ponty Maurice Merleau-Ponty](http://www.thefamouspeople.com/profiles/thumbs/maurice-merleau-ponty-8241-1.jpg)
![Pierre Bourdieu Pierre Bourdieu](http://www.thefamouspeople.com/profiles/thumbs/pierre-bourdieu-8835-1.jpg)
Renowned sociologist and intellectual Pierre Bourdieu is best remembered for his theory of habitus. Initially sent to Algeria as part of the French Army, he later taught and conducted ethnographic research there. His best-known work remains La Distinction, and he also inspired a hit French documentary.
French paleontologist and Jesuit priest Pierre Teilhard de Chardin is remembered as someone who deviated from theology to science. He discovered the fossilized remains known as the Peking man in China, but faced a lot of opposition from his religious superiors when it came to publishing his scientific thoughts.
If others thought the body was the prison of the soul, Paul-Michel Foucault felt the other way round. The French philosopher, literary critic and Leftist who interpreted the link between power and knowledge, was a post-structuralist whose theories have left a mark on anthropology, psychology and criminology. The feminist was one of the noted personalities to have died of HIV/AIDS.
![Emmanuel Levinas Emmanuel Levinas](http://www.thefamouspeople.com/profiles/thumbs/emmanuel-levinas-8766-1.jpg)
![Vilfredo Pareto Vilfredo Pareto](http://www.thefamouspeople.com/profiles/thumbs/vilfredo-pareto-8332-1.jpg)
A qualified civil engineer, Vilfredo Pareto had initially worked for the railways and the ironworks. However, he gradually deviated to philosophy, sociology, and politics and gained fame for his application of math to economic issues and his introduction of Pareto efficiency. Mind and Society remains his best-known work.
![Héloïse Héloïse](http://www.thefamouspeople.com/profiles/thumbs/hlose-53440-1.jpg)
![Bruno Latour Bruno Latour](http://www.thefamouspeople.com/profiles/thumbs/bruno-latour-1.jpg)
Holberg Prize-winning French sociologist and anthropologist Bruno Latour had initially studied theology and even received his PhD in the subject. His later research Ivory Coast drew him to anthropology, and he soon gained fame as a renowned academic in the field, having co-written iconic books such as Laboratory Life.
![René Guénon René Guénon](http://www.thefamouspeople.com/profiles/thumbs/ren-gunon-1.jpg)
French philosopher Louis Althusser is remembered for his effort to merge Marxism and structuralism. He taught at the École Normale Supérieure in Paris and had been part of the French Communist Party. He spent several years in a mental institution after strangling his wife, Hélène, to death.
![Jacques Ellul Jacques Ellul](http://www.thefamouspeople.com/profiles/thumbs/jacques-ellul-11468-1.jpg)
French philosopher, Christian anarchist, and social scientist Jacques Ellul initially wished to be a naval officer but was pushed to study law. He is best remembered for his iconic volume La Technique, or The Technological Society. He taught social history and the history of law at various universities.
![Paul Ricœur Paul Ricœur](http://www.thefamouspeople.com/profiles/thumbs/paul-ricur-1.jpg)
![Charles Fourier Charles Fourier](http://www.thefamouspeople.com/profiles/thumbs/charles-fourier-9588-1.jpg)
French social theorist Charles Fourier is regarded as one of the pioneers of utopian socialism. Apart from advocating social reconstruction based on phalanges, or Fourierism, he is also credited with coining the term feminism with respect to women’s rights. The Social Destiny of Man remains one of his notable works.
French mathematician and philosopher Marquis de Condorcet was a champion for liberal economy and women’s rights. He was a significant contributor of the Encyclopédie and was part of the Academy of Sciences. He is also remembered for his political activities in the wake of the French Revolution.
![Guy Debord Guy Debord](http://www.thefamouspeople.com/profiles/thumbs/guy-debord-9037-1.jpg)
![Luce Irigaray Luce Irigaray](http://www.thefamouspeople.com/profiles/thumbs/luce-irigaray-10952-1.jpg)
Luce Irigaray is a Belgian-born French philosopher, feminist, linguist, psychoanalyst, psycholinguist, and cultural theorist. She is best known for her research that examined the role of language in relation to women. Luce Irigaray's 1974 book Speculum of the Other Woman analyzes the texts of Plato, Aristotle, Kant, Freud, Descartes, and Hegel through the lens of phallocentrism.
René Girard was a French philosopher of social science, literary critic, and historian. Over the years, Girard's work has had an influence on disciplines like philosophy, anthropology, psychology, mythology, theology, economics, sociology, and cultural studies among other important disciplines. In 2006, René Girard was honored by the University of Tübingen with the prestigious Dr. Leopold Lucas Prize.
![Jean-François Lyotard Jean-François Lyotard](http://www.thefamouspeople.com/profiles/thumbs/jean-franois-lyotard-9620-1.jpg)
French philosopher Jean-François Lyotard initially wished to be a monk and even a painter. He started his career as a school teacher in Algeria and later various socialist groups. While he later taught French and philosophy at various institutes, he also became a leading figure of the postmodernist movement.
![Alain Badiou Alain Badiou](http://www.thefamouspeople.com/profiles/thumbs/alain-badiou-4500-1.jpg)
![Henri Lefebvre Henri Lefebvre](http://www.thefamouspeople.com/profiles/thumbs/henri-lefebvre-1.jpg)
One of the greatest Marxist philosophers ever, Henri Lefebvre is remembered for introducing iconic ideas such as right to the city and the production of space. He initially mingled with the Surrealists and the Dadaists before moving toward Communism. His Dialetical Materialism remains one of his most celebrated books.
![Gaston Bachelard Gaston Bachelard](http://www.thefamouspeople.com/profiles/thumbs/gaston-bachelard-1.jpg)
![Peter Abelard Peter Abelard](http://www.thefamouspeople.com/profiles/thumbs/peter-abelard-1.jpg)
Medieval French philosopher, theologian, and poet Peter Abelard was born to a knight but gave up his inheritance to study philosophy and logic. He fell in love with his pupil, Héloïse, but her uncle got Abelard castrated, following which Abelard became a monk and made Héloïse a nun.
Often referred to as the Father of Anarchism, Pierre-Joseph Proudhon was born to a tavern keeper and grew up working on farms. Largely educated on scholarships, he later became known for his slogan “Property is theft!” and his idea of mutualism. His notable works include What is Property?
![Georges Sorel Georges Sorel](http://www.thefamouspeople.com/profiles/thumbs/georges-sorel-18199-1.jpg)
Georges Sorel was a French political theorist, social thinker, journalist, and historian. He is credited with inspiring Sorelianism, a support system for his ideologies. Georges Sorel is also credited with inspiring several socialists, Fascists, Marxists, and anarchists. In 1891, Georges Sorel was honored with the prestigious Légion d'honneur.
![Joseph de Maistre Joseph de Maistre](http://www.thefamouspeople.com/profiles/thumbs/joseph-de-maistre-31908-1.jpg)
A qualified lawyer, Joseph de Maistre was also a skilled diplomat, moralist, and author. Part of the Savoy Senate, he was exiled in Switzerland after Napoleon’s invasion and later also served in Russia and an envoy of the Sardinian king. A staunch Roman Catholic, he was against liberal and scientific beliefs.
![Émilie du Châtelet Émilie du Châtelet](http://www.thefamouspeople.com/profiles/thumbs/milie-du-chtelet-31614-1.jpg)
![Germaine de Staël Germaine de Staël](http://www.thefamouspeople.com/profiles/thumbs/germaine-de-stal-31909-1.jpg)
Germaine de Staël was a French political theorist and woman of letters. She is best remembered for her collaboration with the popular Swiss-French political thinker Benjamin Constant. Germaine, who was way ahead of her time, is widely regarded as a precursor of feminism.
![Bernard-Henri Lévy Bernard-Henri Lévy](http://www.thefamouspeople.com/profiles/thumbs/bernard-henri-lvy-1.jpg)
Bernard-Henri Lévy is a French intellectual best known as one of the leaders of the New Philosophers movement in 1976. Over the years, Lévy's political activism, publications, and opinions have been the subject of controversies. Bernard-Henri Lévy's works have also been translated into numerous languages including English.
![Félix Guattari Félix Guattari](http://www.thefamouspeople.com/profiles/thumbs/flix-guattari-16277-1.jpg)
![George Steiner George Steiner](http://www.thefamouspeople.com/profiles/thumbs/george-steiner-18506-1.jpg)
![Ernest Renan Ernest Renan](http://www.thefamouspeople.com/profiles/thumbs/ernest-renan-16903-1.jpg)
Ernest Renan was a French Semitic and Orientalist scholar. A multi-talented personality, Renan was also an expert of Semitic civilizations and languages, philologist, philosopher, historian of religion, critic, and biblical scholar. Ernest Renan is credited with writing pioneering and influential works on the origins of Christianity. Ernest Renan is also credited with writing the extremely popular book, Life of Jesus.
![Alain de Benoist Alain de Benoist](http://www.thefamouspeople.com/profiles/thumbs/alain-de-benoist-18236-1.jpg)
![Jean Bodin Jean Bodin](http://www.thefamouspeople.com/profiles/thumbs/jean-bodin-17172-1.jpg)