Enlightened pleasures : eighteenth-century France and the new epicureanism

Novelists, artists, and philosophers of the eighteenth century understood pleasure as a virtue—a gift to be shared with one’s companion, with a reader, or with the public. In this daring new book, Thomas Kavanagh overturns the prevailing scholarly tradition that views eighteenth-century France primarily as the incubator of the Revolution. Instead, Kavanagh demonstrates how the art and literature of the era put the experience of pleasure at the center of the cultural agenda, leading to advances in both ethics and aesthetics. Kavanagh shows that pleasure is not necessarily hedonistic or opposed to Enlightenment ideals in general; rather, he argues that the pleasure of individuals is necessary for the welfare of their community. "Novelists, artists, and philosophers of the eighteenth century understood pleasure as a virtue - a gift to be shared with one's companion, with a reader, or with the public. In this daring new book, Thomas Kavanagh overturns the prevailing scholarly tradition that views eighteenth-century France primarily as the incubator of the Revolution. Instead, Kavanagh demonstrates how the art and literature of the era put the experience of pleasure at the center of the cultural agenda, leading to advances in both ethics and aesthetics."--Publisher's description. Contents 7 Introduction: A New Epicureanism 9 1. The Pleasures Of Failure: Jourdan’s Le Guerrier Philosophe 18 2. Mirroring Pleasure: La Morlière’s Angola 39 3. Life- Writing As Epicurean Allegory: Thérèse Philosophe 60 4. The Esthetics Of Pleasure: Du Bos And Boucher 79 5. Rousseau’s Eudemony Of Liberty 111 6. Laclos’ Anthropology Of Pleasure 136 7. Recasting The Epicurean Novel: Mirabeau’s La Morale Des Sens 157 8. Theaters Of Pleasure 179 Conclusion: From Plea Sure To Happiness 215 Notes 227 Illustration Credits 251 Index 253