Papon finished school in Turin and at the age of 18 years became an Oratorian.
He then taught as a secondary school teacher in Marseille, Riom, Nantes and Lyon.
He fled the French revolution into the Cevennes and on 24 February 1796 became a non resident member of the newly (1795) founded Institut de France (Académie des sciences morales et politique).
He was also one of the resident members of the Société des observateurs de l'homme.
He was one of the authors who prepared the scientific Romance and Provencal linguistics of the 19th century.