| The French Revolution, like much else in the eighteenth century, was undeniably influenced by a revival of classical Greco-Roman themes, particularly in the realm of politics. Unfortunately, classical civic virtue in the French context has generally been viewed as a largely secular affair. In fact, the turn toward classical republican thought was also markedly influenced by the Augustinian theological beliefs of the Jansenists, an austere group of Catholics. One of their number, Charles Rollin, a prominent educator and author, played an important role in revising French education, placing a great deal of emphasis on the instruction of virtue. This thesis will demonstrate the connections between the religious tenets of the Jansenists and the classical republican civic virtue that Rollin prescribes as a remedy not for the individual soul, but for the political and social health of the patrie. |
