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Jacques Dinet

1584 – 1653

French Jesuit

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About Jacques Dinet

Lived 1584 – 1653 (aged 68–69). Jacques Dinet was a French catholic priest, catholic theologian, confessor and theologian.

Jacques Dinet (1584-1653) was a French Jesuit, confessor to Louis XIII and an associate of René Descartes.

Life He was born at Moulins, nephew of Gaspard Dinet who was bishop of Mâcon.

He knew Descartes from La Flèche, where for some of the time he supervised Descartes's studies as principal prefect. Later, Descartes found him sympathetic enough to use as a sounding board, and potential intermediary with Pierre Bourdin, another Jesuit and critic of the Dioptrics. A letter to Dinet in 1642 attacked both Bourdin and Gisbertus Voetius, an opponent at the University of Utrecht. The letter also set out his position in relation to scholastic philosophy. By including it in the second edition of his Meditations on First Philosophy, Descartes raised the stakes in these fights. At that time Dinet was in a position of influence, as Jesuit provincial in Paris, for the Île-de-France.

In 1643 Dinet took over from Jacques Sirmond the position of confessor to the dying Louis XIII. In 1653 he was also briefly confessor to Louis XIV.

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Important facts

Born
1584, Moulins
Birth century
Died
1653, Paris
Nationality
Positions held
Provincial superior
Also known as
Jacob Dinet

People in Jacques Dinet's life

Named in this biography and alive at the same time

Contemporaries

People whose lives overlapped Jacques Dinet's

Frequently asked questions

Who was Jacques Dinet?

French Jesuit

When was Jacques Dinet born?

Jacques Dinet was born in 1584 in Moulins.

When did Jacques Dinet die?

Jacques Dinet died in 1653 in Paris.

What was Jacques Dinet's occupation?

Jacques Dinet was a catholic priest, catholic theologian, confessor and theologian.

What nationality was Jacques Dinet?

Jacques Dinet was French.

Sources & further reading

· Wikipedia: Jacques Dinet

· Wikidata: Q6120563

· DBpedia: Jacques Dinet

Cite this page

APA: Biography.guide. (2026). Jacques Dinet. https://biography.guide/jacques-dinet/

MLA: "Jacques Dinet." Biography.guide, https://biography.guide/jacques-dinet/.

Chicago: "Jacques Dinet." Biography.guide. https://biography.guide/jacques-dinet/.

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