Quarrel of the Ancients and the Moderns
Encyclopedia
The quarrel of the Ancients and the Moderns was a literary
and artistic debate that heated up in the early 1690s and shook the Académie française
.
, who supported the merits of the ancient writers and contended that a writer could do no better than imitate the great examples that had been fixed for all time. On the other side were the Moderns (Modernes), who opened fire first with Perrault
's '"Le siècle de Louis le Grand"' ("The Century of Louis the Great," 1687), in which he supported the merits of the authors of the century of Louis XIV
and expressed the Moderns' stance in a nutshell:
Learned Antiquity
, through all its extent,
Was never enlightened
to equal our times.
Fontenelle
quickly followed with his Digression sur les anciens et les modernes (1688), in which he took the Modern side, pressing the argument that modern scholarship allowed modern man to surpass the ancients in knowledge.
In the opening years of the next century Marivaux was to show himself truly a Modern in establishing quite a new genre of theatre, unknown to the Ancients, of sentimental comedy (comédie larmoyante
) in which the impending tragedy was resolved at the end, amid reconciliations and floods of tears.
By constraining his choice of subjects to those drawn from the literature of Antiquity
, Jean Racine
showed himself as much one of the Ancients, as his restriction of his tragedies to the classical unities
derived by the classicists
from Aristotle
's Poetics: the unities of place, time, and action (one scene location, 24 hours, and consistent actions respectively).
The Quarrel of the Ancients and Moderns was a cover, often a witty one, for deeper opposed views. The very idea of Progress was under attack on the one side, and Authority
on the other. The new antiquarian interests led to critical reassessment of the products of Antiquity that would eventually bring Scripture itself under the magnifying glass of some Moderns. The attack on authority in literary criticism had analogues in the rise of scientific inquiry, and the Moderns' challenge to authority in literature foreshadowed and later extension of challenging inquiry in systems of politics as well as religion.
In contemporary Britain, the quarrel was taken less seriously. Sir William Temple
argued against the Modern position in his essay "On Ancient and Modern Learning" (where he incidentally repeated the commonplace, originally from Bernard of Chartres
, that we see more only because we are dwarves standing on the shoulders of giants). Temple's essay prompted a small flurry of responses. Among others, two men who took the side opposing Temple were classicist and editor Richard Bentley
and critic William Wotton
.
The entire discussion in England was over by 1696, and yet it seems to have fired Jonathan Swift
's imagination. Swift saw in the opposing camps of Ancients and Moderns a shorthand of two general ways of looking at the world, that he developed in his satire
A Tale of a Tub
, composed between 1694 and 1697 and published in 1704 with the famous prolegomena The Battle of the Books
, long after the initial salvos were over in France. Swift's controversial and polarizing satire provided a framework for other satirists in his circle of the Scriblerian
s, and the Moderns against the Ancients is employed as one distinction between political and cultural forces.
Literature
Literature is the art of written works, and is not bound to published sources...
and artistic debate that heated up in the early 1690s and shook the Académie française
Académie française
L'Académie française , also called the French Academy, is the pre-eminent French learned body on matters pertaining to the French language. The Académie was officially established in 1635 by Cardinal Richelieu, the chief minister to King Louis XIII. Suppressed in 1793 during the French Revolution,...
.
Description
On one side of the debate were the Ancients (Anciens), led by BoileauNicolas Boileau-Despréaux
Nicolas Boileau-Despréaux was a French poet and critic.-Biography:Boileau was born in the rue de Jérusalem, in Paris, France. He was brought up to the law, but devoted to letters, associating himself with La Fontaine, Racine, and Molière...
, who supported the merits of the ancient writers and contended that a writer could do no better than imitate the great examples that had been fixed for all time. On the other side were the Moderns (Modernes), who opened fire first with Perrault
Charles Perrault
Charles Perrault was a French author who laid the foundations for a new literary genre, the fairy tale, with his works derived from pre-existing folk tales. The best known include Le Petit Chaperon rouge , Cendrillon , Le Chat Botté and La Barbe bleue...
's '"Le siècle de Louis le Grand"' ("The Century of Louis the Great," 1687), in which he supported the merits of the authors of the century of Louis XIV
Louis XIV of France
Louis XIV , known as Louis the Great or the Sun King , was a Bourbon monarch who ruled as King of France and Navarre. His reign, from 1643 to his death in 1715, began at the age of four and lasted seventy-two years, three months, and eighteen days...
and expressed the Moderns' stance in a nutshell:
-
- La docte Antiquité dans toute sa durée
- A l'égal de nos jours ne fut point éclairée.
Learned Antiquity
Classical antiquity
Classical antiquity is a broad term for a long period of cultural history centered on the Mediterranean Sea, comprising the interlocking civilizations of ancient Greece and ancient Rome, collectively known as the Greco-Roman world...
, through all its extent,
Was never enlightened
Age of Enlightenment
The Age of Enlightenment was an elite cultural movement of intellectuals in 18th century Europe that sought to mobilize the power of reason in order to reform society and advance knowledge. It promoted intellectual interchange and opposed intolerance and abuses in church and state...
to equal our times.
Fontenelle
Bernard le Bovier de Fontenelle
Bernard Le Bovier de Fontenelle , also called Bernard Le Bouyer de Fontenelle, was a French author.Fontenelle was born in Rouen, France and died in Paris just one month before his 100th birthday. His mother was the sister of great French dramatists Pierre and Thomas Corneille...
quickly followed with his Digression sur les anciens et les modernes (1688), in which he took the Modern side, pressing the argument that modern scholarship allowed modern man to surpass the ancients in knowledge.
In the opening years of the next century Marivaux was to show himself truly a Modern in establishing quite a new genre of theatre, unknown to the Ancients, of sentimental comedy (comédie larmoyante
Comédie larmoyante
Comédie larmoyante was a genre of French drama of the 18th century. In this type of sentimental comedy, the impending tragedy was resolved at the end, amid reconciliations and floods of tears. Plays of this genre that ended unhappily nevertheless allowed the audience to see that a "moral...
) in which the impending tragedy was resolved at the end, amid reconciliations and floods of tears.
By constraining his choice of subjects to those drawn from the literature of Antiquity
Classical antiquity
Classical antiquity is a broad term for a long period of cultural history centered on the Mediterranean Sea, comprising the interlocking civilizations of ancient Greece and ancient Rome, collectively known as the Greco-Roman world...
, Jean Racine
Jean Racine
Jean Racine , baptismal name Jean-Baptiste Racine , was a French dramatist, one of the "Big Three" of 17th-century France , and one of the most important literary figures in the Western tradition...
showed himself as much one of the Ancients, as his restriction of his tragedies to the classical unities
Classical unities
The classical unities, Aristotelian unities or three unities are rules for drama derived from a passage in Aristotle's Poetics. In their neoclassical form they are as follows:...
derived by the classicists
Classicism
Classicism, in the arts, refers generally to a high regard for classical antiquity, as setting standards for taste which the classicists seek to emulate. The art of classicism typically seeks to be formal and restrained: of the Discobolus Sir Kenneth Clark observed, "if we object to his restraint...
from Aristotle
Aristotle
Aristotle was a Greek philosopher and polymath, a student of Plato and teacher of Alexander the Great. His writings cover many subjects, including physics, metaphysics, poetry, theater, music, logic, rhetoric, linguistics, politics, government, ethics, biology, and zoology...
's Poetics: the unities of place, time, and action (one scene location, 24 hours, and consistent actions respectively).
The Quarrel of the Ancients and Moderns was a cover, often a witty one, for deeper opposed views. The very idea of Progress was under attack on the one side, and Authority
Authority
The word Authority is derived mainly from the Latin word auctoritas, meaning invention, advice, opinion, influence, or command. In English, the word 'authority' can be used to mean power given by the state or by academic knowledge of an area .-Authority in Philosophy:In...
on the other. The new antiquarian interests led to critical reassessment of the products of Antiquity that would eventually bring Scripture itself under the magnifying glass of some Moderns. The attack on authority in literary criticism had analogues in the rise of scientific inquiry, and the Moderns' challenge to authority in literature foreshadowed and later extension of challenging inquiry in systems of politics as well as religion.
In contemporary Britain, the quarrel was taken less seriously. Sir William Temple
William Temple (British politician)
Sir William Temple, 1st Baronet was an English statesman and essayist.Sir William was the son of Sir John Temple of Dublin and nephew of Rev Dr Thomas Temple DD. Born in London, and educated at Emmanuel College, Cambridge, he travelled across Europe, and was for some time a member of the Irish...
argued against the Modern position in his essay "On Ancient and Modern Learning" (where he incidentally repeated the commonplace, originally from Bernard of Chartres
Bernard of Chartres
Bernard of Chartres was a twelfth-century French Neo-Platonist philosopher, scholar, and administrator.- Life :...
, that we see more only because we are dwarves standing on the shoulders of giants). Temple's essay prompted a small flurry of responses. Among others, two men who took the side opposing Temple were classicist and editor Richard Bentley
Richard Bentley
Richard Bentley was an English classical scholar, critic, and theologian. He was Master of Trinity College, Cambridge....
and critic William Wotton
William Wotton
William Wotton was an English scholar, chiefly remembered for his remarkable abilities in learning languages and for his involvement in the Quarrel of the Ancients and the Moderns. In Wales he is remembered as the collector and first translator of the ancient Welsh laws.-Early years:William Wotton...
.
The entire discussion in England was over by 1696, and yet it seems to have fired Jonathan Swift
Jonathan Swift
Jonathan Swift was an Irish satirist, essayist, political pamphleteer , poet and cleric who became Dean of St...
's imagination. Swift saw in the opposing camps of Ancients and Moderns a shorthand of two general ways of looking at the world, that he developed in his satire
Satire
Satire is primarily a literary genre or form, although in practice it can also be found in the graphic and performing arts. In satire, vices, follies, abuses, and shortcomings are held up to ridicule, ideally with the intent of shaming individuals, and society itself, into improvement...
A Tale of a Tub
A Tale of a Tub
A Tale of a Tub was the first major work written by Jonathan Swift, composed between 1694 and 1697 and published in 1704. It is arguably his most difficult satire, and perhaps his most masterly...
, composed between 1694 and 1697 and published in 1704 with the famous prolegomena The Battle of the Books
The Battle of the Books
The Battle of the Books is the name of a short satire written by Jonathan Swift and published as part of the prolegomena to his A Tale of a Tub in 1704. It depicts a literal battle between books in the King's Library , as ideas and authors struggle for supremacy...
, long after the initial salvos were over in France. Swift's controversial and polarizing satire provided a framework for other satirists in his circle of the Scriblerian
Scriblerus Club
The Scriblerus Club was an informal group of friends that included Jonathan Swift, Alexander Pope, John Gay, John Arbuthnot, Henry St. John and Thomas Parnell. The group was founded in 1712 and lasted until the death of the founders, starting in 1732 and ending in 1745, with Pope and Swift being...
s, and the Moderns against the Ancients is employed as one distinction between political and cultural forces.
External links
- Dictionary of the History of Ideas Ancients and Moderns in the Eighteenth Century