Paul Nizan (February 7, 1905 - May 23, 1940) was a French philosopher and writer.

He was born in Tours and studied in Paris where he befriended fellow student Jean-Paul Sartre. He became a member of the French Communist Party, and much of his writing reflects his political beliefs, although he resigned from the party upon hearing of the Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact in 1939. He died in the Battle of Dunkirk, fighting against the German army in World War II.

His works include the novels Antonie Bloye (1933), Le Cheval de Troie and La Consipiration (1938) and the essays "Les Chiens de garde" (1932) and "Aden, Arabie" (1931), which introduced him a new audience when republished in 1960 with a foreword by Sartre.