author
comte de Agénor Gasparin
1810–1871
A French statesman, Protestant thinker, and prolific writer, he moved from public life into a career of outspoken religious and political commentary. He is also remembered for early investigations into table-turning, which gave his work an unusual place in 19th-century intellectual history.
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About the author
Born in Orange, France, in 1810, Agénor Étienne, comte de Gasparin was the son of Adrien de Gasparin and built an early career in government before serving as a deputy for Corsica during the July Monarchy. Contemporary reference sources describe him as both a statesman and an author, and later accounts also note his strong Protestant commitments.
After the political upheavals of 1848, he spent much of the rest of his life in Switzerland, where he wrote extensively on religion, public affairs, and moral questions. He became especially well known for works defending Protestant convictions and for writing against slavery during the era of the American Civil War.
Gasparin is also remembered for his curious side road into early psychical research, especially his experiments on table-turning. That mix of politics, faith, reform, and unusual inquiry makes him a striking figure of the 19th century. He died in 1871.