He came from a family who were traditionally connected to the legal profession, but chose early in life to follow a career in philosophy.

In 1893 he finished his thesis "L'Action" (Action), 'an essay on a critique of life and a science of practice'.

In 1895, however, with the help of his former teacher Émile Boutroux, he became a Maître de Conférences at Lille, then shortly after at Aix-en-Provence, where he became a professor in 1897.

His subsequent works, the Letter on Apologetics and History and Dogma, were also connected to the philosophical problem of religion.

Blondel, however, was never the target of Pascendi and he received letters, through the Archbishop of Aix, from numerous Popes affirming he was not under suspicion.