Henri Frédéric Amiel (French pronunciation: [ɑ̃ʁi fʁedeʁik amjɛl]; 27 September 1821 – 11 May 1881) was a Swiss moral philosopher, poet, and critic.

Born in Geneva in 1821, Amiel was descended from a Huguenot family that moved to Switzerland following the revocation of the Edict of Nantes.

[1] After losing his parents at an early age, Amiel travelled widely, became intimate with the intellectual leaders of Europe, and made a special study of German philosophy in Berlin.

[2] Although modest in volume of output, Amiel's Journal gained a sympathy that the author had failed to obtain in his life.

In addition to the Journal, he produced several volumes of poetry and wrote studies on Erasmus, Madame de Stael and other writers.