How did Paul Bourget portray a philosopher resembling Hippolyte Taine in Le Disciple?

In his novel Le Disciple (1889), Paul Bourget portrays a character who strongly resembles the positivist philosopher and teacher Hippolyte Taine.

Bourget depicts this philosopher as a highly respected intellectual whose teachings exert a pernicious influence on a young student. The protagonist, having internalized the philosopher's scientific theories, attempts to apply these abstract principles to real-life human emotions. This experiment leads to a series of dangerous psychological games that ultimately culminate in a tragic crime. Through this narrative, Bourget critiques the moral consequences of modern intellectualism, using the story to argue that youth should adhere to traditional morality rather than the detached, scientific rationalism associated with figures like Taine.1