Reading the French Enlightenment: System and Subversion

Cover......Page 1
Half-title......Page 3
Series-title......Page 6
Title......Page 7
Copyright......Page 8
Contents......Page 9
Acknowledgments......Page 11
Author\'s note......Page 12
Prologue – despotic Enlightenment......Page 13
Introduction – the critique of systematic reason......Page 15
CHAPTER 1 “Système” – origins and itineraries......Page 34
BUFFON – COMPLEXITY AND LINEARITY......Page 42
D\'ALEMBERT – ESPRIT SYSTÉMATIQUE VS. ESPRIT DE SYSTÈME......Page 51
AFTER THE ENCYCLOPÉDIE......Page 62
CHAPTER 2 The epistolary machine......Page 70
INTERCEPTED MAIL......Page 79
Marking: Elizabeth of Bohemia and René Descartes......Page 80
Reading: Marie-Catherine Desjardins and Antoine de Villedieu......Page 85
Feedback: Françoise de Graffigny and François-Antoine Devaux......Page 91
CHAPTER 3 Physics and figuration in Du Châtelet\'s ‘Institutions de physique’......Page 98
CHAPTER 4 Condillac and the identity of the Other......Page 123
THE PATHOS OF READING......Page 130
CHAPTER 5 Diderot – changing the system......Page 154
HIEROGLYPH AND HYPERTEXT......Page 156
PLAGIARISM AND THE POETICS OF ADULTERY......Page 174
POSTSCRIPT – AFFECT AND RATIONALIZATION......Page 194
Conclusion – labyrinths of Enlightenment......Page 196
INTRODUCTION......Page 204
1 “SYSTÈME” – ORIGINS AND ITINERARIES......Page 208
2 THE EPISTOLARY MACHINE......Page 211
3 PHYSICS AND FIGURATION IN DU CHÀTELET’S ‘INSTITUTIONS DE PHYSIQUE’......Page 216
4 CONDILLAC AND THE IDENTITY OF THE OTHER......Page 221
5 DIDEROT – CHANGING THE SYSTEM......Page 224
CONCLUSION – LABYRINTHS OF ENLIGHTENMENT......Page 234
Bibliography......Page 236
Index......Page 252