French Literature Reviews - 2026

Ambre Perez-Parfait, Servir et critiquer l'État : politiques du libertinage chez Naudé et La Mothe Le Vayer
Philosophy, Anthropology and Ideas

How can we approach the political thought of Gabriel Naudé and François de La Mothe Le Vayer from a philosophical perspective? What does it consist of? As both authors are often categorized under the polemical heading of libertinism, this study examines the paradox of a philosophy that simultaneously serves and critiques—or subverts—political power. How should we view the dissident thinking of figures who served the powerful of their day as librarians or tutors? This question must be addressed in light of major 17th-century upheavals (most notably the Thirty Years' War and the Fronde), which inevitably shaped their stances in certain highly official publications. This study aims to shed light on how these elements connect with the heterodoxy of less circumstantial works, some of which circulated clandestinely. What relationship did these libertine authors maintain with the "public," understood in both a political and literary sense? Addressing questions of readership and intended audiences, this research approaches libertinism through the lens of a heritage-based politics of reading, thereby interpreting it within its hermeneutic and philosophical tradition.

Ambre Perez-Parfait holds a PhD in Philosophy from the University of Tours and is an associate researcher at the CESR. Her research focuses on early modern French political thought at the turn of the 16^th and 17^th centuries. While her primary focus is on 17th-century libertine corpuses, she is also interested in the thought of Étienne de La Boétie and the concept of "voluntary servitude."

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PDF version: e-EAN 9782745364562. 42 EUR.

Ambre Perez-Parfait investigates the complex interplay between heterodox thought and institutional service during the turbulent decades of the seventeenth century. By analyzing the writings of Gabriel Naudé and François de La Mothe Le Vayer, the book situates early modern French libertinism within its broader hermeneutic and philosophical tradition. It examines how these thinkers navigated the tensions between official duties as royal servants and the subversive impulses of clandestine or critical texts, offering a nuanced perspective on intellectual dissent during the age of the Thirty Years' War and the Fronde.

This scholarly volume will particularly interest researchers, graduate students, and specialists in early modern philosophy, political theory, and French literature. By focusing on readership, the public sphere, and a heritage-based politics of reading, the study provides valuable tools for understanding how seventeenth-century intellectuals engaged with power and authority. It serves as an essential resource for those seeking to unpack the sophisticated rhetorical and philosophical strategies behind libertine texts and their reception.