Middlebury

FREN 0364

Happiness in Ancien Regime FR

The Pursuit of Happiness in Ancien Régime France
We will consider the evolution of the notion of happiness in seventeenth- and eighteenth-century France, and trace how that notion, initially based on the idea of a civic or social aspiration to a greater common good, gradually became a more individual conception, closely linked to that of personal autonomy. This evolution coincided with a gradual emancipation from the dominion of outside intellectual and moral authority and the growing reliance on individual judgment that marked the Age of Enlightenment. We will read works by authors who defined the intellectual and social climate of their time, possibly including Corneille, Molière, Mme de Lafayette, Marivaux, Voltaire, Graffigny, Rousseau, Charrière, and Beaumarchais. (FREN 0221 or by waiver). 3 hrs. lect./disc.
Subject:
French
Department:
French
Division:
Languages
Requirements Fulfilled:
EUR LIT LNG

Sections in Fall 2007, School Abroad France (Paris)

Fall 2007

FREN0364A-F07 Lecture (O'Connor)