From Hastings to Montesquieu: Franco-English cultural interferences

Abstract

The theme "From Hastings to Montesquieu: Franco-English cultural interferences" explores the cultural, political, and intellectual relations between France and England from the Battle of Hastings (1066) to the Enlightenment of Montesquieu (the 18th century). The direction of influence is biunivocal and manifests itself in numerous areas: the introduction of feudalism along the French model, the influence of the French language on medieval English, as well as architectural and legal transformations inspired by French traditions. I propose to trace the cultural exchanges from the Plantagenets to the Age of Enlightenment, including Eleanor of Aquitaine, Chretien de Troyes, Geoffrey Chaucer, Erasmus, Thomas More, Rabelais, Montaigne, Shakespeare, and Montesquieu. It will be noted that the two cultures form a complex system of communicating vessels.