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The Life and Death of an Ideal France in the Classical Age
Hardcover
Literary CriticismFrench HistoryGeneral World History
ISBN13: 9781025797045
Publisher: Tradd Street Press
Published: Feb 14 2026
Pages: 412
Weight: 1.66
Height: 0.94 Width: 6.14 Depth: 9.21
Language: English
The Life and Death of an Ideal France in the Classical Age offers a sweeping intellectual and cultural history of France during its most formative centuries. Author Albert Guérard explores the rise and eventual decline of the 'Classical Ideal'-a philosophy of order, logic, and aesthetic perfection that defined French life from the Renaissance through the 18th century. Central to the work is an analysis of how this ideal achieved its zenith during the reign of Louis XIV, shaping not only the arts and literature but also the political and social structures of the nation.
The book examines the forces that forged this unique cultural identity and the internal tensions that led to its eventual dissolution during the Enlightenment. Guérard provides a profound look at the thinkers, monarchs, and artists who contributed to this era of French hegemony, while also tracing the shifting tides of European thought that challenged classical traditions. By focusing on the 'life' of this cultural spirit, the work provides an essential framework for understanding the transition from the medieval world to the modern state. This study remains a significant contribution to the field of French historiography, offering readers a comprehensive view of the intellectual landscape that made France the cultural center of the Western world.
This work has been selected by scholars as being culturally important, and is part of the knowledge base of civilization as we know it. This work was reproduced from the original artifact, and remains as true to the original work as possible. Therefore, you may see the original copyright references, library stamps (as most of these works have been housed in our most important libraries around the world), and other notations in the work.
This work is in the public domain in the United States of America, and possibly other nations. Within the United States, you may freely copy and distribute this work, as no entity (individual or corporate) has a copyright on the body of the work.
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