1 8 9 6 ) ▁was ▁a ▁French ▁states man ▁and ▁phil os opher , ▁and ▁one ▁of ▁the ▁leaders ▁of ▁the ▁Mod er ate ▁Republic ans ▁in ▁the ▁Third ▁French ▁Republic . ▁ ▁Biography ▁Simon ▁was ▁born ▁at ▁Lor ient . ▁ ▁His ▁father ▁was ▁a ▁lin en - dra per ▁from ▁Lor raine , ▁who ▁ren ounced ▁Protest ant ism ▁before ▁his ▁second ▁marriage ▁with ▁a ▁Catholic ▁Bre ton . ▁ ▁Jules ▁Simon ▁was ▁the ▁son ▁of ▁this ▁second ▁marriage . ▁The ▁family ▁name ▁was ▁Suisse , ▁which ▁Simon ▁dropped ▁in ▁favour ▁of ▁his ▁third ▁for ename . ▁ ▁By ▁considerable ▁sacrifice ▁he ▁was ▁enabled ▁to ▁attend ▁a ▁sem inary ▁at ▁V annes , ▁and ▁worked ▁briefly ▁as ▁us her ▁in ▁a ▁school ▁before , ▁in ▁ 1 8 3 3 , ▁he ▁became ▁a ▁student ▁at ▁the ▁É cole ▁Norm ale ▁Sup érieure ▁in ▁Paris . ▁There ▁he ▁came ▁in ▁contact ▁with ▁Victor ▁C ousin , ▁who ▁sent ▁him ▁to ▁Ca en ▁and ▁then ▁to ▁Vers a illes ▁to ▁teach ▁philosophy . ▁He ▁helped ▁C ousin , ▁without ▁receiving ▁any ▁recognition , ▁in ▁his ▁transl ations ▁from ▁Pl ato ▁and ▁Arist ot le , ▁and ▁in ▁ 1 8 3 9 ▁became ▁his ▁deput y ▁in ▁the ▁chair ▁of ▁philosophy ▁at ▁the ▁University ▁of ▁Paris , ▁with ▁the ▁me ag re ▁sal ary ▁of ▁ 8 3 ▁fran cs ▁per ▁month . ▁He ▁also ▁lect ured ▁on ▁the ▁history ▁of ▁philosophy ▁at ▁the ▁É cole ▁Norm ale ▁Sup érieure .