MASSON-OURSEL, Paul Louis. Paris 5.9.1882 — Paris 17.3.1956. French Indologist. Studied Indology (Foucher and Lévi), philosophy (Bergson) and sociology (Durkheim and Mauss), also some Chinese (Chavannes). Agrégé 1906, Ph.D. 1923. Participated in WW I as sergeant. From 1919 chargé de conférences, from 1927 Directeur d’études at É.P.H.É., sciences religieuses, in Paris. Interned during the war. Retired in 1953, but went on teaching until 1955. Married in 1918, two sons – all died before him.
Masson-Oursel was a specialist of Indian philosophy (Yoga, even Tantrism, but not so much Vedānta) and Buddhism, also familiar with Chinese thought. He was often comparing Western and Eastern ideas. Among his students were A.-M. Esnoul and O. Lacombe.
Publications: “Les trois corps du Bouddha”, JA 11:1, 1913, 581-618; “Sur la signification du mot ‘yoga’”, RHR 68, 1913, 18-31; “Essai d’interprétation de la théorie bouddhique des douze conditions (nidanas) pratîtya samutpâda”, RHR 71, 1915, 30-46; “Notes sur l’acception à travers la civilisation indienne du mot dharma”, JA 11:19, 1922, 269-275; “Abhi, adhi, ati”, JA 223, 1933, 181-188; other articles and reviews in JA, RHR, RP, etc.
– Essai d’interprétation de la théorie bouddhique des douze conditions. P. 1915.
– Esquisse d’une Histoire de la Philosophie indienne. 314 p. P. 1923.
– With H. de Willman-Grabowska & Ph. Stern: L’Inde antique et la civilisation indienne. 32+493 p. Bibl. Historique 26. P. 1933, English Ancient India and Indian Civilisation. Transl. by M. R. Dobie. 435 p. L. 1934.
– La philosophie en Orient. 12+184 p. P. 1938/48.
– Le fait métaphysique. 8+137 p. P. 1941; La pensée en Orient. 215 p. P. 1949.
– Le yoga. 128 p. Que sais-je? P. 1954, 6th ed. 1967.
– Diss. La philosophie comparée. 201 p. P. 1923, 2nd ed. 1931, English tr. Comparative Philosophy. L. 1926.
– La morale et l’histoire. 190 p. P. 1955.
Sources: *O. Lacombe, Annuaire de l’É.P.H.É. 1957-58, 19-23; A. Padoux, D.O.L.F. 662f.; *P.-M. Schuhl, Revue Philosophique de la France et de l’Etranger 1956:2, 168-177; photo in Sardesai 1938; Wikipedia (more in French version).
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