SOCIAL HISTORY OF CULTURE

THE LEGACY OF THE ENLIGHTENMENT AND THE LONG NINETEENTH CENTURY. Public opinion, political struggle, and processes of secularization in France in the name of Voltaire (1750-1900)
In the latest legislative elections of July 2024, once again, appeal was made to the "France of Victor Hugo and Voltaire", to reject the tide of what has been defined as the forces of obscurantism and reaction. This is an identity struggle that has rather distant origins: "Taking advantage of the silence and indolence of the supposed heirs of Voltaire and Hugo," writes a contemporary socialist leader in this regard, "the descendants of Maurras and Barrès have kidnapped our history; Having become masters of the past, they control the present and obliterate the future."
The task of this course will be to clarify the origins and meaning of this dualism that stems from a debate that spans more than a century. The political and intellectual experience of Voltaire, historian, philosopher, writer, his legacy as a "universal man" and apostle of tolerance as well as "inventor" of modern public opinion, will allow for exploration of themes and underlying trends of the profound transformation of identity that has occurred in the West over the past three hundred years: from the Age of Enlightenment to that long Nineteenth Century that Furet considered to have been the true "century of the French Revolution, with the crystallization of the teleological link between Enlightenment and Revolution and its controversial aspects, still in use today.
We will therefore examine themes related to religion, processes of secularization, the emergence of the concept of civil coexistence under a regime of tolerance and consent of the governed, the birth of public opinion, and their transformation in the aftermath of the age of Revolutions. We will bring to light the roots of 'our' modernity of rights in the ideal of a secular and inclusive civil society, defining paths, adaptations, unexpected deviations and derivations, especially through forms of aesthetic-based social communication: literature, theater, fine arts.
The course was designed to meet the needs of the French track of the LLEAP master's program, but it approaches themes and topics with a methodology that is primarily historical and historical-cultural, which may be of particular interest and perhaps even useful for students of literature in other tracks of the master's program.

at the end of course the student will have to demonstrate:
a) to be able to articulate a coherent historical picture of the events and debates that are at the origin of the birth of modern secular and democratic Western societies based on the consent of the governed and on the appeal to public opinion between the Calas case and the Dreyfus affair.
b) ability to recognize the different types of historiographical research in relation to the different historical and literary sources examined, therefore
c) to be able to adequately comment on the complex of historical sources (visual and written) analyzed in class,
d) to show a conscious use of the historiographical categories used during the lessons;
e) the ability to autonomously initiate insights and reflections on specific cases related to the topic of the course.

None, apart from those required by the LLEAP II degree course of studies
The course was designed to meet the needs of the French track of the LLEAP master's program, but it approaches themes and topics with a methodology that is primarily historical and historical-cultural, which may be of particular interest and perhaps even useful for students of literature in other tracks of the master's program.

THE LEGACY OF THE ENLIGHTENMENT AND THE LONG NINETEENTH CENTURY. Public opinion, political struggle, and processes of secularization in France in the name of Voltaire (1750-1900)

The value of Voltaire's political and public battle will be detailed before and after the "panthéonisation", by highlighting his role as advocate of the scientific spirit, founder of modern historical science, defender of secular society of rights. The themes of tolerance and natural religion and their developments in opposition to the vision of revealed religions will therefore be considered in a historical perspective, their legacy in the secularization processes of the full nineteenth century in contrast to the revolutionary and romantic traditions, dedicating particular attention to the transmission of those issues in a controversial and conflictual key in the journalistic and literary fields of social communication.

a) the notes from the lessons and the texts commented on in class;
b) the volume Gerardo Tocchini, Voltaire epicureo. Il mito del “Settecento libertino”, Roma, Carocci editore, 2024
c) other readings of choice that will be indicated and made available in pdf format on the Moodle platform at the beginning of the course

NB: Students who, for various reasons, wish to agree on an alternative exam program to attending (mandatory) the course, must contact the teacher during office hours.

The oral test, with an average duration of about 20 minutes, will focus on at least two topics covered during the lessons and aims at a transversal verification of the student's preparation and his ability to explain and coordinate the topics covered by the course, his ability to connect between different topics.

During the oral exam, the student will have to demonstrate:
a) to be able to articulate a coherent historical picture of the events and debates that are at the origin of the birth of modern secular and democratic Western societies based on the consent of the governed and on the appeal to public opinion between the Calas case and the Dreyfus affair.
b) ability to recognize the different types of historiographical research in relation to the different historical and literary sources examined, therefore
c) to be able to adequately comment on the complex of historical sources (visual and written) analyzed in class,
d) to show a conscious use of the historiographical categories used during the lessons;
e) the ability to autonomously initiate insights and reflections on specific cases related to the topic of the course.

15 frontal lessons, with iconology and multimedial

Italian

Students attending will be required to print and bring to class a hard copy of the text to be read during the lessons, downloadable in pdf from the Moodle section in this webpage

oral

This subject deals with topics related to the macro-area "Poverty and inequalities" and contributes to the achievement of one or more goals of U. N. Agenda for Sustainable Development