France in the Age of Enlightenment

Catalog description

This course examines the "Age of the Enlightenment" in France with the reigns of King Louis XV and Louis XVI. Through readings of the functioning of the monarchy, on the world of everyday peoples in Paris and the countryside, and the intellectual climate of the era, students will be able to reconstruct the time known as "the ancient regime." The class will also analyze readings by authors such as Diderot, Voltaire, DuChâtelet, and Rousseau to gain a sense of the intellectual excitement of the "Enlightenment." (Prerequisites: HIST300/HS334 for History and Military History majors only)