116-033 Classical and Enlightenment France

Credit Points

HECS Band

Coordinator

Prerequisites

116-007 French I: Cultural Perspectives and 116-008 French I: Language in Context II or equivalent. European studies students wishing to enrol in this subject would normally have completed first year European studies, see Prerequisites.

Semester

Subject Description

Through the analysis of different artistic genres and diverse philosophical texts, this subject will examine the aesthetic, ethical and philosophical tensions that helped shape France as a major cultural power. It will use a contemporary methodological framework to reflect on such notions as classicism and enlightenment, and to explore the value of individual works, both in their historical context and in terms of their relevance today. Works of theatre, poetry, fiction and philosophy will be selected from a number of the following authors: Molière, Racine, Mme de Sévigné, Mme de la Fayette, La Fontaine, La Rochefoucauld, La Bruyère, Pascal, Montesquieu, Voltaire, Rousseau, Diderot, Beaumarchais. The subject will be taught in French.