116-033 Classical and Enlightenment France

116-133 French I: Cultural Perspectives and 116-134 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.

Through the analysis of different literary genres and diverse philosophical texts, this subject will examine the aesthetic, political, ethical and philosophical tensions that helped shape France as a major cultural nation. It will use a contemporary methodological framework to reflect on such notions as baroque, 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, Sévigné, La Fayette, La Fontaine, La Rochefoucauld, La Bruyère, Pascal, Grafigny, Riccoboni, Charrière, Montesquieu, Voltaire, Rousseau, Diderot, Beaumarchais. The subject will be taught in French.