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Louis Lachance, priest, philosopher (b at St-Joachim de Montmorency, Qué 18 Feb 1899; d at Montréal 28 Oct 1963). His Nationalisme et religion (1936) provided the base for a nationalism based on reason - distinct from that advocated by Lionel Groulx which was based primarily on feeling.
His pioneering Philosophie du langage (1943) helped give Thomism a contemporary relevance and direction. Among philosophers, he is best known for Le Droit et les droits de l'homme (1959) which develops the theory that human rights are meaningless if seen merely in the context of the individual and his desires. They depend upon the community and must be related to the common good and to basic social responsibilities.
Lachance studied at the Petit Séminaire de Québec and then joined the Dominican order at St-Hyacinthe, the traditional stronghold of Québec Thomism. He studied and taught in Ottawa until 1936, apart from the years 1929-31 when he studied in Rome. In 1936 he returned to Rome to teach at Angelicum University. His career there was cut short by WWII and he returned to Canada as a priest, and in 1943 moved to Université de Montréal as professor of philosophy.