French Literature Reviews - 2026
C. Dornier, La Monarchie éclairée de l’abbé de Saint-Pierre
History, Politics and Society
La Monarchie éclairée de l’abbé de Saint-Pierre
By Carole Dornier
Oxford University Studies in the Enlightenment 2020:11
ISBN: 9781789622225, 461 pages, £65.00
The Abbé de Saint-Pierre, famous for his Project for Perpetual Peace, emerges, even before Bentham, as one of the earliest utilitarians. Drawing upon his complete works, this study highlights an overlooked dimension of the political Enlightenment—preceding the rise of cameralism, political economy, and physiocracy—namely, the concept of a welfare state imposed by the monarchy.
An overlooked dimension of the political Enlightenment: enlightened monarchy and the welfare state in the projects of the Abbé de Saint-Pierre.
The first monograph to draw upon the entirety of the Abbé de Saint-Pierre's writings.
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The Abbé de Saint-Pierre, best known for his Project for Perpetual Peace, is reinterpreted in this book as a pioneering utilitarian and antecedent of cameralism, political economy and physiocracy. Considering the totality of his rich body of writing on politics and morality, this book highlights Saint-Pierre’s significant (but underappreciated) contributions to the political thought of the Enlightenment, introducing an important rationale for a centralized monarchy creating an efficient welfare state.
Demonstrates the presence of utilitarian arguments for a welfare state imposed by the monarchy in the early decades of the Enlightenment.
The first work that exploits the entirety of the abbé de Saint-Pierre’s writings.
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Professor Emeritus of 18th-Century French Literature and Culture at the University of Caen, Carole Dornier has published extensively and prepared scholarly editions of texts on the moral and political ideas of the Enlightenment (Crébillon, Duclos, Montesquieu, Le Maître de Claville, Vauvenargues, Rousseau, Castel de Saint-Pierre). She is currently directing an electronic edition of the writings of the Abbé de Saint-Pierre. --- Professor emeritus (18th century French literature and culture) at the University of Caen France, Carole Dornier has published works and scientific editions of texts concerning the moral and political ideas of the Enlightenment (Crébillon, Duclos, Montesquieu, Le Maître de Claville, Vauvenargues , Rousseau, Castel de Saint-Pierre). She is currently editing an electronic edition of the writings of the Abbot of Saint-Pierre.
During the eighteenth century, French political discourse underwent significant transformations as thinkers grappled with the efficacy of absolute monarchy, administrative reform, and the emerging demands of social welfare. Within this intellectual landscape, figures associated with the early Enlightenment frequently proposed ambitious schemes to restructure public administration, improve governance, and foster collective well-being well before the formal institutionalization of political economy or physiocracy. Such intellectual efforts reflected broader European debates concerning the role of centralized authority in managing societal welfare, preventing conflicts, and organizing civic life through systematic legislative proposals and moral philosophy.
In La Monarchie éclairée de l’abbé de Saint-Pierre, Carole Dornier investigates the political and moral writings of the Abbé de Saint-Pierre, emphasizing his role as an early utilitarian thinker and an advocate for a welfare state directed by the monarchy. Utilizing the entirety of the author's extensive corpus, the study highlights his contributions to Enlightenment political thought and reconsiders his proposals in relation to cameralism and political economy. Readers interested in the history of eighteenth-century French political philosophy and the evolution of reformist thought may find this monograph relevant to their inquiries.