Émile Auguste Chartier

Émile-Auguste Chartier, commonly known as Alain, was born in Orne, France in 1868. In 1881, he attended lycée d’Alençon for five years, and then went on to receive his degree in philosophy at École Normale Supérieure. After graduation, Alain taught at several schools in Rouen and Paris, and contributed to journals using the pseudonym Alain. As a professor at Lycée Henri-IV in Paris, Alain influenced famous pupils like Simone de Bouvoir, Raymond Aron, Simone, Weil, and André Maurois. Besides being considered one of the greatest teachers of his generation, Alain also published various philosophical works, some of which included Small Treaty of Harmony for the Blind (in braille), Mars; Or the Truth About War, and Alain on Happiness.