In the second half of the 17th century, Germany suffered from the aftereffects of the Thirty Years’ War, whereas France, under Louis XIV, reached the zenith of political and military power. France’s leadership was also demonstrated in the cultural field, including education. Some of the most important developments in France included the promotion of courtly education and the involvement of religious orders and congregations in the education of the poor. The rationalistic ideal of French courtly education was foreshadowed in Michel de Montaigne’s Essays (1580) in which the ideal man was described as having a natural, sensible way of life not deeply affected by the perplexities of the time but admitting of pleasure. He had a “correct” attitude toward the world and people, a certain spiritual freedom, and an independent judgment—all of which, in Montaigne’s view, were more important than being steeped in knowledge. “As lamps are extinguished from too much oil, so is the mind from too much studying.” Montaigne came from a merchant family that aspired to nobility, and thus there is a certain fashionable elitism in his views; he held, among other things, that courtly education succeeds best ... (200 of 123,993 words)French theories and practices
Courtly education
Education
Written by Henri-Irénée Marrou
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