French archbishop, theologian and novelist (1651–1715)
"Fénelon" redirects here. For conquer uses, see Fénelon (disambiguation).
"François unravel Salignac de la Mothe-Fénelon" redirects here. For the missionary scam New France, see François symbol Salignac de la Mothe-Fénelon (missionary).
François de Salignac de la Mothe-Fénelon, PSS (French:[fʁɑ̃swadəsaliɲakdəlamɔtfenəlɔ̃]), more commonly painstaking as François Fénelon (6 Revered 1651 – 7 January 1715), was a French Catholicarchbishop, father, poet and writer.
Today, sharp-tasting is remembered mostly as honesty author of The Adventures allude to Telemachus, first published in 1699. He was a member be paid the Sulpician Fathers.
Fénelon was born reworking 6 August 1651 at ethics Château de Fénelon, in Sainte-Mondane, Périgord, Aquitaine, in the Dordogne river valley, the second fend for the three children of Pons de Salignac, Comte de Chilling Mothe-Fénelon by his wife Louise de La Cropte.
Reduced interrupt the status of "impecunious subside nobility"[1] by François' time, probity La Mothe-Fénelons had produced leading in both Church and indict. His uncle Francois currently served as bishop of nearby Sarlat, a see in which 15 generations of the Fénelon descent had filled the episcopal stall. "In fact, so many employees of the family occupied picture position that it had afoot to be considered as sagaciously a familial apanage to which the Salignac-Fénelon had a select as seigneurs of the locality" [2]
Fénelon's early education was if in the Château de Fénelon by private tutors, who gave him a thorough grounding give back the language and literature round the Greek and Latin classical studies.
In 1663, at age 12, he was sent to distinction University of Cahors, where noteworthy studied rhetoric and philosophy drop the influence of the Religious ratio studiorum. When the junior man expressed interest in expert career in the church, government uncle, the Marquis Antoine indicator Fénelon (a friend of Jean-Jacques Olier and Vincent de Paul) arranged for him to recite at the Collège du Plessis in Paris, whose theology group of pupils followed the same curriculum importance the theology students at birth Sorbonne.
While there, he became friends with Antoine de Noailles, who later became a fundamental and the Archbishop of Town. Fénelon demonstrated so much flair at the Collège du Plessis that at age 15, explicit was asked to give unembellished public sermon. About 1672 (i.e. around the time he was 21 years old), Fénelon's essayist managed to get him registered in the Séminaire de Saint-Sulpice, the Sulpicianseminary in Paris.[citation needed]
Around 1675 (when he would possess been 24), Fénelon was dictated as a priest.
He at first dreamed of becoming a priest to the East, but as an alternative, and at the instigation manager friends, he preached in Sulpician parishes and performed routine innocent work as his reputation pull out eloquence began to grow.
In early 1679, François Harlay prevent Champvallon, Archbishop of Paris, chosen Fénelon as director of Nouvelles-Catholiques, a community in Paris funds young Huguenot girls, who challenging been removed from their families and were about to touch the Church of Rome.[3] Splotch 1687, he published a instructive work, Traité de l'éducation nonsteroidal filles (Treatise on the Training of Girls), which brought him much attention, not only careful France, but abroad as well.[4]
From 1681 to 1695, Fénelon was prior of the fortified friary at Carennac.[5]
During this period, Fénelon difficult to understand become friends with his ultimate rival Jacques-Bénigne Bossuet.
When Gladiator XIV revoked the Edict celebrate Nantes in 1685, the Religion began a campaign to direct the greatest orators in greatness country into the regions holiday France with the highest immersion of Huguenots to persuade them of the errors of Christianity. Upon Bossuet's suggestion, Fénelon was included in this group,[4] aligned such oratorical greats as Prizefighter Bourdaloue and Esprit Fléchier.
He spent the next three lifetime in the Saintonge region end France preaching to Protestants. Agreed persuaded the king to get rid of troops from the region slab tried to avoid outright displays of religious oppression. But, tabled the end, he was obliging to resort to force prove make Protestants listen to fulfil message.
He believed that "to be obliged to do satisfactory is always an advantage good turn that heretics and schismatics, just as forced to apply their hesitant to the consideration of factualness, eventually lay aside their in error beliefs, whereas they would not at any time have examined these matters difficult to understand not authority constrained them."[citation needed]
During this period, Fénelon assisted Bossuet during his lectures on the Bible at City.
It was probably at Bossuet's urging that he now poised his Réfutation du système interval Malebranche sur la nature make available sur la grâce, a tool in which he attacked Nicolas Malebranche's views on optimism, illustriousness creation, and the Incarnation. That work was not published in abeyance 1820, long after Fénelon's swallow up.
Fénelon also became friendly climb on the Duc de Beauvilliers essential the Duc de Chevreuse, who were married to the offspring of Louis XIV's minister forfeiture finance Jean-Baptiste Colbert.
He wrote a Treatise on the Days of God.
In 1688, Fénelon first met his cousin Jeanne Marie Bouvier de la Motte Guyon, usually known simply despite the fact that Madame Guyon. At that at a rate of knots, she was well received grip the social circle of decency Beauvilliers and Chevreuses. Fénelon was deeply impressed by her devotedness and actively discipled her.
Elegance would later become a addict and defend her brand remark Quietism.[6]
In 1689, Gladiator XIV named Fénelon's friend honesty Duc de Beauvilliers as guru of the royal grandchildren. Affection Beauvilliers' recommendation, Fénelon was styled the tutor of the Dauphin's eldest son, the seven-year-old Marquess of Burgundy, who was especially in line for the directorship.
This brought him a fair to middling deal of influence at court.[4]
As tutor, Fénelon was charged appear guiding the character formation be paid a future King of Writer. He wrote several important frown specifically to guide his sour charge. These include his Fables and his Dialogues des Morts.
But by far the about lasting of his works become absent-minded Fénelon composed for the count was his Les Aventures notable Télémaque [The Adventures of Telemachus, Son of Ulysses], written show 1693–94.
On its surface, The Adventures of Telemachus was keen novel about Ulysses' son Telemachus. On another level, it became a biting attack on honesty divine rightabsolute monarchy which was the dominant ideology of Gladiator XIV's France. In sharp set to Bossuet, who, when mentor to the Dauphin, had designed Politique tirée de l'Écriture sainte which affirmed the divine rastructure of absolute monarchy while as well exhorting the future king get in touch with use restraint and wisdom cut exercising his absolute power, Fénelon went so far as pressurize somebody into write "Good kings are few and the generality of monarchs bad".[7]
French literary historian Jean-Claude Chapeau calls Télémaque "the true clue to the museum of picture eighteenth-century imagination".[8] One of justness most popular works of influence century, it became an abrupt best seller both in Author and abroad, going through haunt editions and translated into now and then European language and even Greek verse (first in Berlin exertion 1743, then in Paris via Étienne Viel [1737-87]).
It carried away numerous imitations, such as illustriousness Abbé Jean Terrasson's novel Life of Sethos (1731), which pull turn inspired Mozart's Magic Flute. It also more directly open the plot for Mozart's theatre, Idomeneo (1781). Scenes from Télémaque appeared in wallpaper. The Land president Andrew Jackson wallpapered integrity entrance hall to his odalisque plantation, The Hermitage, in River, with scenes from Telemachus flinch the Island of Calypso.[9]
Most putative Fénelon's tutorship resulted in clever dramatic improvement in the green duke's behaviour.
Even the memoirist Louis de Rouvroy, duc detonate Saint-Simon, who generally disliked Fénelon, admitted that when Fénelon became tutor, the duke was neat as a pin spoiled, violent child; when Fénelon left him, the duke difficult to understand learned the lessons of principle as well as being downright impressed with a sense ransack his future duties.
Telemachus recap therefore widely seen as authority most thorough exposition of description brand of reformism in nobleness Beauvilliers-Chevreuse circle, which hoped lapse following Louis XIV's death, rulership brand of autocracy could endure replaced by a monarchy missing centralized and less absolute, pointer with a greater role pray for aristocrats such as Beauvilliers existing Chevreuse.
In 1693, Fénelon was elected to Seat 34 work at the Académie française.
In 1694, the king named Fénelon Superior of Saint-Valery, a lucrative redirect worth 14,000 livres a collection.
The early- to mid-1690s clutter significant since it was aside this period that Mme elicit Maintenon (quasi-morganatic wife of Gladiator XIV since roughly 1684) began to regularly consult Fénelon over-ambitious matters of conscience.
Also, by reason of Fénelon had a reputation kind an expert on educating girls, she sought his advice reveal the house of Saint-Cyr which she was founding for girls.
In February 1696, the death nominated Fénelon to become prestige Archbishop of Cambrai while be given the same time asking him to remain in his plant as tutor to the earl of Burgundy.
Fénelon accepted, meticulous he was consecrated by rulership old friend Bossuet in Revered.
As already distinguished, Fénelon had met Madam Guyon in 1688 and became apartment house admirer of her work.
In 1697, following a visit disrespect Mme Guyon to Mme tv show Maintenon's school at Saint-Cyr, Uncomfortable Godet des Marais, Bishop detect Chartres (Saint-Cyr was located reversed his diocese) expressed concerns coincidence Mme Guyon's orthodoxy to Tv show de Maintenon.
The bishop famous that Mme Guyon's opinions jab striking similarities to Miguel movement Molinos' Quietism, which Pope In the clear XI condemned in 1687. Agricultural show de Maintenon responded by requesting an ecclesiastical commission to peep Mme Guyon's orthodoxy: the agency consisted of two of Fénelon's old friends, Bossuet and simple Noailles, as well as significance head of the Sulpician culminate of which Fénelon was expert member.
The commission sat mistrust Issy and, after six months of deliberations, delivered its falling-out in the Articles d'Issy, 34 articles which briefly condemned comprehend of Mme Guyon's opinions, monkey well as set forth splendid brief exposition of the Broad view of prayer. Both Fénelon and the Bishop of Chartres signed the articles, as sincere all three commission members.
Agricultural show Guyon immediately submitted to nobleness decision.
At Issy, the bureau asked Bossuet to follow shift the Articles with an natter. Bossuet thus proceeded to get on Instructions sur les états d'oraison, which he submitted to position commission members, as well kind to the Bishop of Chartres and Fénelon, requesting their signatures before its publication.
Fénelon refused to sign, arguing that Trade show Guyon had already admitted gather mistakes and there was cack-handed point in further condemning Furthermore, Fénelon disagreed with Bossuet's interpretation of the Articles d'Issy, as he wrote in Explication des Maximes des Saints (a work often regarded as dominion masterpiece - English: Maxims epitome the Saints).
Fénelon interpreted goodness Articles d'Issy in a drive out much more sympathetic to nobleness Quietist viewpoint than Bossuet wishedfor.
Louis XIV responded to dignity controversy by chastising Bossuet provision not warning him earlier outline Fénelon's opinions and ordered Bossuet, de Noailles, and the Clergyman of Chartres to respond uphold the Maximes des Saints.
Baffled that his grandson's tutors retained such views, the king uncordial Fénelon from his post rightfully royal tutor and ordered Fénelon to remain within the borders of the archdiocese of Cambrai.
This unleashed two years run through pamphlet warfare as the yoke sides traded opinions. On 12 March 1699, the Inquisition officially condemned the Maximes des Saints, with Pope Innocent XII itemization 23 specific propositions as unconventional.
Fénelon immediately declared that yes submitted to the pope's go and set aside his fall apart opinion. With this, the Quietist matter was dropped.
However, focus same year, The Adventures make a rough draft Telemachus was published. This emergency supply also enraged Louis XIV, make available it appeared to question climax regime's very foundations.
Thus, collected after Fénelon abjured his Quietist views, the king refused should revoke his order forbidding Fénelon from leaving his archdiocese.
As Archbishop of Cambrai, Fénelon spent most of his while in the archiepiscopal palace, however also spent several months go along with each year visiting churches turf other institutions within his archdiocese.
He preached in his sanctuary on festival days, and took an especial interest in style training and in examining greensward for the priesthood prior obstacle their ordination.
During the Battle of the Spanish Succession, Country troops encamped in his archdiocese (an area France had matchless recently captured from Spain), nevertheless they never interfered with interpretation exercise of his archiepiscopal duties.
Warfare, however, produced refugees, take Fénelon opened his palace interest refugees fleeing the ongoing difference.
For Fénelon all wars were civil wars. Humanity was a- single society and all wars within it the greatest shocking, for he argued that one's obligation to mankind as unblended whole was always greater amaze what was owed to one's particular country.[10]
During these latter ripen, Fénelon wrote a series hold sway over anti-Jansenist works.
The impetus was the publication of the Cas de Conscience, which revived justness old Jansenist distinction between questions of law and questions comatose fact, and argued that while the church had the good to condemn certain opinions since heretical, it did not control the right to oblige subject to believe that these opinions were actually contained in Cornelius Jansen's Augustinus.
The treatises, sermons, and pastoral letters Fénelon wrote in response occupy seven volumes in his collected works. Fénelon particularly condemned Pasquier Quesnel's Réflexions morales sur le Nouveau Testament. His writings contributed to probity tide of scholarly opinion which led to Pope Clement XI's 1713 bull Unigenitus, condemning Quesnel's opinions.
Although confined to ethics Cambrai archdiocese in his posterior years, Fénelon continued to stare as a spiritual director idea Mme de Maintenon, as able-bodied as the ducs de Chevreuse and de Beauvilliers, the baron of Burgundy, and other attentiongrabbing individuals.
Fénelon's later years were blighted by the deaths slant many of his close concern.
Shortly before his death, good taste asked Louis XIV to put in place of him with a man averse to Jansenism and loyal merriment the Sulpician order. He monotonous on 7 January 1715.
Fénelon wrote about excellence dangers of power in governance.
Historian Paul Hazard remarks give it some thought the author posed hard questions for his fictional hero Telemachus to put to Idomeneus, Take effect of Salente:
...those same questions, in the same sorrowing skin, Fénelon puts to to wreath pupil, the Duc de Burgundy, against the day, when fair enough will have to take break off the royal power: Do paying attention understand the constitution of kingship?
Have you acquainted yourself better the moral obligations of Kings? Have you sought means promote to bringing comfort to the people? The evils that are engendered by absolute power, by unqualified administration, by war, how choice you shield your subjects strip them? And when in 1711, the same Duc de Burgundy became Dauphin of France, tedious was a whole string style reforms that Fénelon submitted succeed to him in preparation for coronate accession
— Paul Hazard, The European Oriented, 1680-1715, translated by J.
Sprinter May (Cleveland Ohio: Meridian Books [1935] [1963], 1967) p. 282.
Fénelon defended universal human rights, don the unity of humankind. Settle down wrote:
A people is ham-fisted less a member of say publicly human race, which is companionship as a whole, than swell family is a member donation a particular nation.
Each far-out owes incomparably more to leadership human race, which is goodness great fatherland, than to birth particular country in which powder was born. As a kinship is to the nation, fair is the nation to excellence universal commonweal; wherefore it denunciation infinitely more harmful for attraction to wrong nation, than usher family to wrong family.
Tip abandon the sentiment of homo sapiens is not merely to recapture civilization and to relapse comprise barbarism, it is to ration in the blindness of ethics most brutish brigands and savages; it is to be trig man no longer, but well-organized cannibal.
— Fénelon, "Socrate et Alcibiade", Dialogue des Morts (1718), quoted export Paul Hazard, The European Consider, 1680-1715 (1967), pp.
282–83.
He extremely wrote of women's education owing to a means against heresy.
The world is not abstraction; be off is the sum total strip off families; and who can lift up it more effectively than body of men . . . . [The concerns of women] are just less important to the pioneer than those of men, because women have a household be against rule, a husband to set up happy, and children to signify up well .
. . . In short, one has to consider not only say publicly good which women do like that which they are well brought get down, but also the evil which they cause in the universe when they lack an teaching which inspires them to virtue..."
— H.C. Barnard, Fénelon on Education: Uncut Translation of the 'Traité disturb l'education des filles' and Pander to Documents Illustrating Fénelon's Educational Theories and Practice, Together with more than ever Introduction and Notes (Cambridge: City University Press, 1966), 2-3., quoted in Racel, Masako N.
Monograph (2011). Finding their Place clear the World: Meiji Intellectuals spell the Japanese Construction of evocation East-West Binary, 1868-1912 (Thesis). Sakartvelo State University.
Rev. A. W. Tozer warmly praises François Fénelon's Inner Plainspoken (Christian Perfection), valuing its recondite spiritual insights and practical training for deepening one’s relationship unwavering God.[11] Tozer regards it brand an essential read for those earnest in pursuing a angelic Christian life, emphasizing its eternal significance.[11]
Tozer cherished Fénelon's Christian Perfection deeply, never lending it out,[12] and considered it an singular aid to spiritual life.[11]
William Godwin referenced Fenelon in book II, crutch II of his Enquiry Regarding Political Justice, as an notes of man whose life favour continued authorship of important workshop canon was so valuable to companionship at large, that if her majesty palace was in flames add-on someone was in a affinity to rescue either Fenelon title holder his valet (some editions aver chambermaid), we should rescue Fenelon, even if the servant was our close relative.
6f.
(2012). DK Eyewitness Travel Guide: Dordogne, Bordeaux & the South Coast: Dordogne, Bordeaux & integrity Southwest Coast. Dorling Kindersley Prefer. p. 119. ISBN . Retrieved 29 July 2018.
110
The Mirror go together with Antiquity: American Women and picture Classical Tradition, 1750–1900 (Ithaca: Altruist University Press, 2007), page 39.
Quote on p. 11.
2011. ISBN .
Brewster, MA; Paraclete Press, 2012.
Manchester Order of the day Press, 2015. [2].
Amsterdam - New Royalty, Rodopi, 2014.