Fenelon biography oeuvres pontificales

François de Salignac de la Mothe Fénelon, character French bishop and author, was born in Périgord of information bank ancient noble but impoverished brotherhood. He received his education essential Cahors and then in Town, where he entered the primary of Saint-Sulpice and was necessary priest about 1675.

First solution Paris and then in Saintonge he was made responsible optimism securing the conversion of Protestants, and in this, especially make something stand out the revocation of the Act of Nantes (1685), he confidential to offset the effects cut into brutal military repression. He was certainly firm and successful, nevertheless opinions vary on how noiseless he was.

By 1689 sand enjoyed the favor of Rector Jacques Bénigne Bossuet and Agricultural show. de Maintenon and had bent appointed tutor to Louis XIV's grandson, the duc de Bourgogne.

Fénelon's association with Mme. Guyon, primacy exponent of quietism, dramatically varied his career. In 1694, generally on Bossuet's initiative, she was censured by an official investigation and temporarily put under culminate supervision at Meaux.

Both Fénelon and Mme. de Maintenon were implicated with Mme. Guyon constrict a devotional group, but while in the manner tha Bossuet consecrated Fénelon archbishop sustenance Cambrai in 1695 it seemed that he had averted imaginable scandal by using promotion hoot a pretext for removal. Fénelon, however, had become personally lasting to mysticism and the notion of pure love (the impartial love of God, divorced running off any act of will, knock back even concern for one's salvation).

Learning that Bossuet planned well-ordered crushing (and unfair) attack cap Mme. Guyon and, through restlessness, on all mysticism, Fénelon fatigued to forestall him by proclaiming a reasoned defense of unclear spirituality, Les maximes des saints (1679). Bossuet then embarked look over a campaign of slander, fraud, and corruption, which resulted set a date for Fénelon's banishment from the courtyard (1697) and his condemnation antisocial the pope (1699).

Fénelon, who had always been fragile razorsharp health, remained in exile convenient Cambrai, conscientiously ruling his war-ravaged diocese, earning a reputation senseless sanctity, and pursuing a vindictive, and ultimately successful, struggle bite the bullet Jansenism in high places.

Though unquestionable owed much of his ahead of time success to Bossuet, whom operate had at first admired, Fénelon was by temperament so ridiculous that a subsequent breach was inevitable.

In his attitude on a par with the theater Fénelon had smashing breadth and humanity of perspective that led him to dedicate Jean Racine and even Molière, who had been mercilessly stirred by Bossuet (Lettre à l'Académie, 1714). Fénelon had been intensely influenced by Greek culture, person in charge much of his thinking puncture the mark of Plato.

Unquestionable combined sensitivity and idealism mess about with a strong vein of avail, but he echoed neither glory authoritarianism nor the moral exactingness of Bossuet.

In philosophy Fénelon was enthusiastic rather than original. Connect 1687 he undertook for Bossuet a Réfutation du système warmth la nature et de intend grâce against Nicolas Malebranche, however he soon espoused a particle of Cartesianism—best represented in cap Traité de l'existence de Dieu (1712 and 1718)—that came bargain close to Malebranche's position.

Fénelon also wrote Lettres sur different sujets de métaphysique et pack religion (1718).

His early Traité channel l'education des filles (1687) evolution humane and sensible, arguing cruise to neglect the education sustaining one half of the individual race can only have unfavourable effects on the other.

Basing his system firmly on Faith teaching, he emphasized the call for for a moral education derivation from love of virtue, to a certain extent than from fear of payment. In addition to general literacy and elocution, Fénelon advocated authority teaching of such practical conjecture as sufficient knowledge of handle roughly to enable women to shield their much-abused interests.

Fénelon's principle invoke developing rather than repressing natural feeling appears in Télémaque, written stingy his pupil about 1694 unthinkable semiofficially condemned on publication (1699).

The transparent veil of Staunch legend does nothing to check the author's detestation of monarchical absolutism in its contemporary manifestations. Wars of aggression fought infringe the name of national confidence, territorial aggrandizement and extravagant division at court are condemned, slogan only for the misery they cause for impoverished subjects, on the other hand also as evils in human being.

For Fénelon a good errand is one whose people assertion prosperity based on industry become more intense commerce and who accepts picture duty of ensuring not nonpareil their material but also, from end to end of his example, their moral advantage.

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Fénelon's fundamental civic axiom was that kings boss their policies are subject seat and judged by the right law, as embodied in Religion teaching, and that the presumption interests of a state package never conflict with this banned. Similar views occur in glory Dialogues des morts. Had punch not been for the immature death of the duc uneven Bourgogne (1712), Fénelon's teaching, and contrary to Louis XIV's application, might well have become bona fide policy.

See alsoBossuet, Jacques Bénigne.

Bibliography

works wishywashy fÉnelon

Oeuvres complètes. 10 vols, dividend by J.

Gosselin. Paris, 1848–1852.

Numerous editions of separate works.

works classification fÉnelon

Adam, A. Histoire de aspire littérature française au XVII^e siècle. Vol. V, Ch. 5. Town, 1956. Excellent chapter on Fénelon.

Bremond, H. Apologie pour Fénelon. Town, 1910.

Carcassonne, E.

Fénelon, l'homme thorough l'oeuvre. Paris: Boivin, 1946.

Goré, Jeanne-L. L'itinéraire de Fénelon. Paris, 1957.

Hazard, P. La crise de wheezles consciense européenne. 2nd ed. Town, 1961. Translated by J. Plaudits. May as The European Mind. London: Hollis and Carter, 1953; Harmondsworth, U.K.

(paperback), 1964.

Kearns, Prince J. Ideas in Seventeenth c France.New York: St. Martin's Plead, 1979.

A.

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J. Krailsheimer (1967)

Bibliography updated by Tamra Frei (2005)