Gabriel Marcel was born on 7 December 1889 in Paris. Although he never held a formal academic position, Marcel was influential in the phenomenological and existentialist movements of twentieth century European Philosophy. After studying at the Sorbonne, he qualified to teach secondary school in 1910. He joined the French Red Cross during the First World War, and the horrors pushed him from idealism toward (existential) humanism. He periodically taught philosophy at several institutions including Sens, Paris, Montpellier, Aberdeen, and Harvard.
Awarded the German Peace Prize in 1964, this highlighted the international renown he had achieved throughout his career. Marcel converted to Christianity in 1929, and his philosophical reflections influenced his reputation as a Christian existentialist. He was highly regarded as a dramatist, critic, and professional editor. Notable works include Journal métaphysique (1927), Être et avoir (1935), La métaphysique de Royce (1945), The Philosophy of Existence (1948), Les hommes contre l’humain (1951), The Influence of Psychic Phenomena on My Philosophy (1956), The Philosophy of Existentialism (1956), and Présence et immortalité (1959).
