FFS 230 - The Middle Ages and the Early Modern Period

Semester Offered: Spring
1 unit(s)

Topic for 2024/2025: A History of Happiness: “Happiness is a new idea in Europe,” declared Louis de Saint-Just, one of the chief architects of the French Revolution, in 1794. Following Saint-Just, Francophone histories of happiness often start in the eighteenth century, with the birth of an apparently new political project: the right to happiness. Such histories tend to obscure the varied expression of happiness throughout the ages, from the lovelorn ecstasy of the medieval troubadours, to the joie de vivre of twenty-first century protest. In this course, we take a broad view of the history of happiness in Francophone cultures, focusing on a selection of works from the medieval era to the present day, including personal essays, fairy tales, art, self-help, political texts, philosophy, architectural plans, poetry, and film. We discuss, among other topics, the definition of happiness and its pursuit; the collective struggle for happiness through the creation of new political movements, utopian communities, and artistic forms; the development of discourses around happiness at key moments in Francophone history; and the failure of happiness as a social and political ideal.

The course is conducted in French. Rupinder Kaur.

Prerequisite(s): FFS 212 or the equivalent, or permission of the instructor.

Two 75-minute periods.

Course Format: CLS