Dupuis, Charles François (17421809)
French author and politician who studied ancient civilization
and anthropology. He was born on October 26, 1742 at
Trie le-Chateau and was tutored by his father until he was able
to enter the College dHarcourt. At age 24 he was made professor
of rhetoric at Lisieux, but his inclination led him into the
field of mathematics. Several of his anthropological writings
had occult implications. In Origine de tous les Cultus (3 vols.,
1795) he attempts to explain not only all the mysteries of antiquity,
but also the origin of all religious beliefs. In his Memoire
explicatif du Zodiaque chronologique et mythologique (1806) he
maintains a common origin for the astronomical and religious
opinions of the Greeks, Egyptians, Chinese, Persians, and Arabians.
Depuis died on September 29, 1809.
