Abstract
Ryan Patrick Hanley makes two original claims about François Fénelon: (1) that he is best regarded as a political philosopher, and (2) that his political philosophy is best understood as “moderate and modern.” In what follows, I raise two concerns about Hanley’s revisionist turn. First, I argue that the role of philosophy in Fénelon’s account is rather as a handmaiden of theology than as an autonomous area of inquiry—with implications for both the theory and practice of politics. Second, I use Fénelon’s writings on the education of women as an illustration of the more radical and reactionary aspects of his thought. Despite these limits, the book makes a compelling case for recovering Fénelon and opens up new conversations about education, religion, political economy, and international relations in early modern political thought.
Highlights
Francois Fenelon, Fenelon: Moral and Political Writings, edited and translated by Ryan Patrick Hanley, Oxford University Press: New York, NY, 2020; 286 pp.: ISBN 9780190079581, US $39.95
Scholars working on the early modern period owe a great debt of gratitude for Hanley’s two recent volumes dedicated to the work of Fenelon: The Political Philosophy of Francois Fenelon (PPF) and Fenelon: Moral and Political Writings (MPW)
The magisterial study is striking in its breadth and originality, drawing unexpected connections between Fenelon’s writings on education, political economy, statecraft, international relations, and theology
Summary
Francois Fenelon, Fenelon: Moral and Political Writings, edited and translated by Ryan Patrick Hanley, Oxford University Press: New York, NY, 2020; 286 pp.: ISBN 9780190079581, US $39.95 (hbk). Keywords Education, Fenelon, Locke, political philosophy, Rousseau, theology I argue that the role of philosophy in Fenelon’s account is rather as a handmaiden of theology than as an autonomous area of inquiry—with implications for both the theory and the practice of politics.
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