Fénelon was a nuanced and influential diagnostician of the ills of European society, one who carefully analysed phenomena as wide-ranging and complex as egocentrism, authoritarianism, and imperialism. Despite his influence there has been to date no interpretive monograph in English devoted specifically to his thought. Ryan Patrick Hanley aims to correct this oversight, providing the first book-length interpretative study of Fénelon's writings to appear in
English.
A companion volume to Hanley's comprehensive English translation of Fénelon's moral and political writings, this book focuses on Fénelon's political thought as a method of understanding his impact on areas ranging from economics and statecraft to religion and literature. Hanley begins by reconstructing Fénelon's political ideas for those who may be encountering his work directly or at length for the first time. He then articulates the connections between Fénelon's political
thought and several other fields to which he made significant and long-recognized contributions, including not only philosophy and political science, but also economics, education, literature, theology, and spirituality. Building from this foundation, Hanley constructs a new understanding and appreciation of Fénelon's
political thought and its significance. He argues that Fénelon is better understood as a moderate and modern thinker rather than as a radical or reactionary, and that Fénelon deserves to be seen not merely as a political thinker but as a political philosopher, one whose work has direct relevance to our political world today.
- ISBN10 0190079630
- ISBN13 9780190079635
- Publish Date 22 April 2020 (first published 20 February 2020)
- Publish Status Active
- Publish Country US
- Imprint Oxford University Press Inc
- Format Hardcover
- Pages 328
- Language English