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Malebranche, Nicolas

(Encyclopedia)Malebranche, Nicolas nēkôläˈ mälbräNshˈ [key], 1638–1715, French philosopher. Malebranche's philosophy is a highly original synthesis of Cartesian and Augustinian thought. Its purpose was to ...

occasionalism

(Encyclopedia)occasionalism, metaphysical doctrine that denies that finite things have any active power and asserts that God is the only cause, whereas physical events and mental states are only occasions for God's...

Desmarets, Nicolas

(Encyclopedia)Desmarets, Nicolas nēkôläˈ dāmärāˈ [key], 1648–1721, French statesman; the nephew of Jean Baptiste Colbert. He became director of finances in 1703 and succeeded Michel Chamillart as controll...

Chuquet, Nicolas

(Encyclopedia)Chuquet, Nicolas nēkôläˈ shükāˈ [key], c.1450–1500, French mathematician, probably b. Paris. Little is known of Chuquet's life. At Lyons in 1484 he composed a manuscript on the science of num...

Changarnier, Nicolas

(Encyclopedia)Changarnier, Nicolas nēkôläˈ shäNgärnyāˈ [key], 1793–1877, French general and politician. He served in Algeria and was briefly (1848) governor-general of Algeria, succeeding Louis Cavaignac....

Fouquet, Nicolas

(Encyclopedia)Fouquet or Foucquet, Nicolas fo͞okāˈ [key], 1615–80, superintendent of finance (1653–61) under King Louis XIV of France. His loyalty to Cardinal Mazarin during the Fronde helped to secure his ...

Guillén, Nicolás

(Encyclopedia)Guillén, Nicolás nēkōläsˈ gēyānˈ [key], 1904–89, Cuban poet. A leading exponent of poesia negra—an Afro-Antillean genre developed in the Caribbean—Guillén writes poetry charged with in...

Gombert, Nicolas

(Encyclopedia)Gombert, Nicolas nēkôläˈ gôNbĕrˈ [key], c.1500–c.1560, Flemish composer. Gombert was the greatest follower of Josquin des Prés. He served at the court of Emperor Charles V. His sacred works ...

Froment, Nicolas

(Encyclopedia)Froment, Nicolas nēkôläˈ frômäNˈ [key], fl. 2d half of 15th cent., French painter of the Provençal school. While in the service of René of Anjou at Avignon, he painted The Resurrection of Laz...

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