Le Sicle de la lgret

La France est une nation lgre ce lieu commun antique est abondamment repris tout au long du XVIIIe sicle, tmoignant de profonds bouleversements axiologiques, scientifiques et thiques, dont ce volume collectif cherche mesurer limportance et les enjeux, en racontant lhistoire dun autre sicle des Lumires : celle dun sicle de la Lgret. Propre aux reprsentations que le XVIIIe sicle franais construit de lui-mme, tant par rapport aux sicles qui lont prcd que dans une logique de parallle entre les nations europennes, la lgret du XVIIIe sicle est un important paradigme de lhistoriographie qui sest constitue sitt aprs la Rvolution. Les hritiers du XVIIIe sicle ne reconnaissent pas seulement en lui lge de la raison et du progrs, des Lumires et des droits du citoyen, mais prouvent aussi tantt du mpris, tantt de la nostalgie pour la prtendue lgret de ses murs, la futilit de ses gots ou la frivolit de ses enfantillages. Entre la bourgeoisie industrieuse du XIXe sicle tirant profit des reprsentations voluptueuses des ftes galantes et lintrt de notre poque clbrant laimable frivolit du sicle de Marie-Antoinette, le XVIIIe sicle en sa lgret na jamais cess de sduire certes, mais aussi de questionner le rcit progressiste de la raison et de lutilit dans la dfinition des valeurs qui fondent notre communaut. Aussi importe-t-il dinterroger les conceptions et les valeurs qui sont associes la notion de lgret au XVIIIe sicle, de manire mieux comprendre dans quelle mesure elle a pu tre associe la fois au caractre de la nation franaise en gnral et au XVIIIe sicle en particulier. ---The age-old clich that France is a light-hearted nation is echoed repeatedly throughout the eighteenth century and bears witness to the deep axiological, scientific and ethical upheavals which this volume explores. By analysing the importance of, and issues at stake in, these transformations, the articles gathered here tell the story of another age of Enlightenment: the story of an age of lightness. Lightness is at the crux of how the French eighteenth century represents itself both in contrast with previous centuries and through parallels between European nations. The concept of lightness therefore constitutes an essential paradigm of the historiography that developed immediately after the French Revolution. The intellectual heirs of the eighteenth century do not only find in this period an age of reason, progress, Enlightenment and citizens rights; they also feel, at times, contempt, at other times, nostalgia for the alleged lightness of its mores, the futility of its taste or the frivolity of its childish ways. Between the industrious bourgeoisie of the 19th century exploiting the voluptuous representations of ftes galantes and the fascination of our own 21st century for the delightful frivolity of Marie-Antoinettes era, the 18th century in its lightness has never lost its charm. Yet, crucially, it also challenges the progressive narrative of the history of reason and usefulness in the definition of the very values on which our community is built. It is therefore essential to analyse the concepts and values associated to the notion of lightness in the 18th century. Such an approach yields breakthroughs in understanding why, and to what extent, this idea of lightness has been related to the French national character in general as well as, more particularly, to its 18th century.