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agnosticism

(Encyclopedia)agnosticism ăgnŏsˈtĭsĭzəm [key], form of skepticism that holds that the existence of God cannot be logically proved or disproved. Among prominent agnostics have been Auguste Comte, Herbert Spenc...

Jones, Brian

(Encyclopedia)Jones, Brian, 1947–, British balloonist, b. Bristol. A former Royal Air Force pilot, he entered the world of ballooning in the 1980s, and in 1997 became an organizer for the attempt of the British-b...

Borschberg, André

(Encyclopedia)Borschberg, André, 1952–, Swiss engineer, businessman, and pilot. With Bertrand Piccard (see under Piccard, Auguste) he founded Solar Impulse to develop a solar-powered plane capable of circumnavig...

Laclede, Pierre

(Encyclopedia)Laclede, Pierre pyĕr läklĕdˈ [key], c.1724–1778, French pioneer in the United States. His surname was Liguest, but he adopted the name Pierre Laclede. He went to New Orleans in 1755 and was a me...

Perrot, Jules

(Encyclopedia)Perrot, Jules pĕrōˈ [key], 1810–92, French dancer and choreographer, b. Lyons. Perrot studied with Auguste Vestris (see under Vestris, Gaetan) and Salvatore Vigano. He gained fame as a dancer be...

Claudel, Camille

(Encyclopedia)Claudel, Camille (Camille-Rosalie Claudel) kämēˈyə-rōzälēˈ klōdĕlˈ [key], 1864–1943, French sculptor. The sister of the writer Paul Claudel, she studied at the Colarossi Academy (now the ...

altruism

(Encyclopedia)altruism ălˈtro͞oĭzˈəm [key], concept in philosophy and psychology that holds that the interests of others, rather than of the self, can motivate an individual. The term was invented in the 19th...

Messmer, Pierre

(Encyclopedia)Messmer, Pierre (Pierre Joseph Auguste Messmer) pyĕr mĕsmāˈ [key], 1916–, French political leader. In World War II he fought with the Free French forces before joining General de Gaulle's staff....

Martineau, Harriet

(Encyclopedia)Martineau, Harriet märˈtĭnō [key], 1802–76, English author. A journalist rather than a writer of literature, she was an enormously popular author. Her success is the more remarkable since she wa...

positivism

(Encyclopedia)positivism pŏˈzĭtĭvĭzəm [key], philosophical doctrine that denies any validity to speculation or metaphysics. Sometimes associated with empiricism, positivism maintains that metaphysical questio...

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