It is with deep sorrow that we at the Cambridge Centre for the Study of Platonism record the passing of Professor Jean-Louis Vieillard-Baron on 28 September 2025. Born in Tunis on 19 April 1944, Professor Vieillard-Baron served as Professor of Philosophy at the University of Poitiers and was a member of the Académie catholique de France.
Author of nineteen books and numerous articles, Jean-Louis Vieillard-Baron leaves behind a body of work that attests to the continuing vitality of speculative philosophy in the modern world. From his early writings—Le Temps. Platon, Hegel, Heidegger (1978) and Platon et l’idéalisme allemand (1770–1830) (1979)—to his major studies on Hegel (Hegel et l’idéalisme allemand [1999], Hegel, penseur du politique [2006], Hegel. Système et structures théologiques [2006]), he traced the deep continuity between Platonic metaphysics and German idealism.
He also made lasting contributions to the study of French spiritualism, notably through Bergson et le bergsonisme (2001), La Religion et la cité (2001),and Le spiritualisme français (2021), in which he explored the symbolic and religious dimensions of philosophical life. Through his intellectual friendship with Henry Corbin, Vieillard-Baron also helped renew interest in Western theosophical traditions, approaching them always with a concern for their philosophical relevance. He co-edited Ésotérisme, gnoses et imaginaire symbolique: Mélanges offerts à Antoine Faivre (2001).
The Cambridge Centre for the Study of Platonism had the honour and pleasure of hosting Professor Vieillard-Baron on 23 October 2023, when he delivered a lecture entitled “Platon et la métaphysique.” His visit left a deep impression on students and faculty alike, marking a memorable moment in the life of the Centre.
A Festschrift published in his honour last year—Quelle philosophie de l’esprit ? Mélanges offerts à Jean-Louis Vieillard-Baron—stands as a testament to the esteem in which he was held by his peers and disciples.
A photo of Professor Vieillard-Baron during his talk at the Faculty of Divinity on 23 Octobre 2023.