born Aug. 6, 1638, Paris, France
died Oct. 13, 1715, Paris
French priest, theologian, and philosopher.
His philosophy is an attempt to reconcile Cartesianism with the thought of St. Augustine and with Neoplatonism . Central to Malebranche's metaphysics is his doctrine of occasionalism , according to which what are commonly called "causes" are merely "occasions" on which God acts to produce effects. His principal work is Search After Truth (3 vol., 1674–75).