Who was Allan Kardec?

ALLAN KARDEC whose real name was HIPPOLYTE LÉON DENIZARD RIVAIL was born in Lyon, France on 3rd October, 1804 into a family who for many generations had been either lawyers or magistrates. He was an intelligent child and was taught high principle of honour and morals by his parents. At an early age he showed strong inclinations towards the sciences and philosophy. When he was ten years of age he was sent to the Institute of Pestalozzi at Yverdun in Switzerland, where he soon acquired the habit of investigation and learnt the art of free thinking. At the age of fourteen he began to give free lessons to school fellows who were less advanced and on occasion was asked to teach officially by Pestalozzi himself in his absence, due to his natural ability in this field. He became a fervent disciple of Pestalozzi and was much loved by the great man.
In 1822 at the age of eighteen, Hippolyte returned to France. A year later he took up
residence in Paris and in 1824 published his first book entitled: 'A Theoretical & Practical
Arithmetic Course.' This was so successful that it continued to be reprinted till as late as 1876. He
had an instinct for methodology and this was only the beginning, for he was to publish many other
books on varying subjects including 'A Classical Grammar of the French Language' (1829). Some
of these were adopted by the French University and the sale of these books rendered him a
sufficient income to live on, while he contined to give free lessons to school children. He taught
chemistry, mathematics, astronomy, physics, rhetoric, comparative anatomy and physiology. He
spoke fluent Italian and Spanish, had a profound knowledge of German, English and Dutch and
some knowledge of Latin, Greek and Gallic. He also translated a number of books, choosing those
which he liked best. These included several by Fénelon which he translated into German.
He opened his first school in 1825. It bore the name 'First Grade School' (École de premier
degré), for superior teaching and the following year he opened 'The Rivail Technical Institute'
whose teaching was based on that of Pestalozzi.
He married Amélie Gabrielle Boudet on 6th February 1832. She was nine years his senior, a
writer, teacher of fine arts, poetess and artist. She was a perfect companion and helper, being
dedicated and uncomplaining. She played an important part in all her husband's activities and
sustained him through many financial difficulties encountered during his life, and greatly assisted
him in his teaching. This extraordinary man could have become renouned and wealthy through his various
talents, but this was not to be. He was a man with a mission! Between 1848 and 1850 an explosion
of spirit phenomena occured in America and even more strongly in Europe. In the last book of the
codification 'Posthumous Works' published by Amélie, Kardec had written: "It was in 1854 that I
heard about 'Table-turning' for the first time." His friend Mr Fortier brought him the initial news of
these extraordinary happenings: "The tables also talk!" Kardec's reply to this was: "I will only
believe when I see it and when it can be proved to me that a table has a brain which can think,
nerves to feel with and can also become somnambulic. Until then, allow me to see nothing more
than fantasy in these stories!" He had always been a disbeliever of such things as ghosts.
After various encounters with Mr Fortier, in 1855 he was finally persuaded to attend a
seance and his curiosity was aroused. He then became a frequent visitor at the seances held in the
house of a certain Mr Baudin. It was in fact here that he began his studies and research. He was never to become a medium, but was highly intuitive. On 30th April 1856 a medium in his group received the first indications from Spirit of his mission. His wife always accompanied him to all the meetings and eventually became his secretary, upholding him in every aspect of his work. He adopted the 'nom de plume' of ALLAN KARDEC at the suggestion of Spirit, so that the works of the codification should not be confused with his own works. The first book of the codificiation (The Spirits' Book), was published in 1857. This same
year he also began meetings in his own home. A year later he founded 'The Parisiene Society for
Spiritist Studies'. The few remaining years of his life were dedicated to his work, the completion of the
Codification, and to lecturing on Spiritism and its philosophy. He also made exhaustive journeys in
order to take the word to as many places as possible, all of which he completed at his own expense.
In 1867 he met Léon Denis, who became his disciple, and who later published a series of classic
works on Spiritism. On March 31st, 1869, having just finished drawing up the constitution and rules of a new
society that he planned to form, while seated in his usual chair at his study-table in the Rue Sainte
Anne, in the act of tying up a bundle of papers, his busy life was suddenly brough to an end. The
passing from Earth into the Spiritual World was instantaneous, a peaceful falling asleep a fitting
end to a life well lived. But although the physical man is no longer with us he lives on in Spirit,
continuing his work by inspiring, stimulating and encouraging us to continue our search for
knowledge.