Persian Letters

Author: Montesquieu
Publisher: Indoeuropeanpublishing.com
ISBN:
Category : Fiction
Languages : en
Pages : 0

Book Description
Persian Letters is a satirical work by Charles de Secondat, baron de Montesquieu, recounting the experiences of two Persian noblemen, Usbek and Rica, who are traveling through France. In 1711 Usbek leaves his seraglio in Isfahan to undertake the long journey to France, accompanied by his young friend Rica. He leaves behind five wives (Zachi, Zéphis, Fatmé, Zélis, and Roxane) in the care of a number of black eunuchs, one of whom is the head or first eunuch. During the trip and their long stay in Paris (1712-1720), they comment, in letters exchanged with friends and mullahs, on numerous aspects of Western, Christian society, particularly French politics and mores, ending with a biting satire of the System of John Law. Over time, various disorders surface back in the seraglio, and beginning in 1717 (Letter 139 [147]), the situation there rapidly unravels. Usbek orders his head eunuch to crack down, but his message does not arrive in time and a revolt brings about the death of his wives, including the vengeful suicide of his favorite, Roxane, and, it appears, most of the eunuchs... About the author: Charles-Louis de Secondat, baron de La Brède et de Montesquieu (18 January 1689, La Brède, Gironde - 10 February 1755), was a French social commentator and political thinker who lived during the Era of the Enlightenment. He is famous for his articulation of the theory of separation of powers, taken for granted in modern discussions of government and implemented in many constitutions throughout the world. He was largely responsible for the popularization of the terms feudalism and Byzantine Empire. Persian Letters is a satirical work by Montesquieu, recounting the experiences of two Persian noblemen, Usbek and Rica, who are traveling through France.

The Art of the Persian Letters

Author: Randolph Runyon
Publisher: University of Delaware Press
ISBN: 9780874139228
Category : Literary Criticism
Languages : en
Pages : 308

Book Description
"Readers of Montesquieu will through this study discover a new Persian Letters, as the exquisite subtlety of its construction is laid bare for the first time. It should find a new appreciation as a work of art, and not merely as a precursor to the author's Of the Spirit of the Laws. The Letters will henceforth be read in the light of similarly composite texts, from Montaigne's Essays to Baudelaire's Fleurs du mal."--Jacket.

Tolerance

Author: Caroline Warman
Publisher: Open Book Publishers
ISBN: 1783742038
Category : Philosophy
Languages : en
Pages : 146

Book Description
Inspired by Voltaire’s advice that a text needs to be concise to have real influence, this anthology contains fiery extracts by forty eighteenth-century authors, from the most famous philosophers of the age to those whose brilliant writings are less well-known. These passages are immensely diverse in style and topic, but all have in common a passionate commitment to equality, freedom, and tolerance. Each text resonates powerfully with the issues our world faces today. Tolerance was first published by the Société française d’étude du dix-huitième siècle (the French Society for Eighteenth-Century Studies) in the wake of the Charlie Hebdo assassinations in January 2015 as an act of solidarity and as a response to the surge of interest in Enlightenment values. With the support of the British Society for Eighteenth-Century Studies, it has now been translated by over 100 students and tutors of French at Oxford University.

Unfabling the East

Author: Jürgen Osterhammel
Publisher: Princeton University Press
ISBN: 0691196478
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 692

Book Description
During the long eighteenth century, Europe's travelers, scholars, and intellectuals looked to Asia in a spirit of puzzlement, irony, and openness. In this panoramic and colorful book, Jürgen Osterhammel tells the story of the European Enlightenment's nuanced encounter with the great civilizations of the East, from the Ottoman Empire and India to China and Japan. Here is the acclaimed book that challenges the notion that Europe's formative engagement with the non-European world was invariably marred by an imperial gaze and presumptions of Western superiority. Osterhammel shows how major figures such as Leibniz, Voltaire, Gibbon, and Hegel took a keen interest in Asian culture and history, and introduces lesser-known scientific travelers, colonial administrators, Jesuit missionaries, and adventurers who returned home from Asia bearing manuscripts in many exotic languages, huge collections of ethnographic data, and stories that sometimes defied belief. Osterhammel brings the sights and sounds of this tumultuous age vividly to life, from the salons of Paris and the lecture halls of Edinburgh to the deserts of Arabia, the steppes of Siberia, and the sumptuous courts of Asian princes. He demonstrates how Europe discovered its own identity anew by measuring itself against its more senior continent, and how it was only toward the end of this period that cruder forms of Eurocentrism--and condescension toward Asia--prevailed.

Learn to Speak Farsi in 30 Days

Author: Reza Nazari
Publisher:
ISBN: 9781975679354
Category :
Languages : en
Pages : 224

Book Description
Learn speak Farsi faster than you ever thought possible! Can you learn Farsi language without learning the alphabet?Yes, you can! In fact, anyone can learn to speak Farsi language without reading its script. Now, you can learn Farsi language the way the children do. They can't read or write, they just pick the language up through immersion and context. Many Farsi learners think that It would probably be difficult (or impossible) to become fluent in spoken Farsi without being able to read the alphabet. In this book, you will learn that it's perfectly possible to reach a good conversational level without being able to read. Many Farsi speakers use the Roman alphabet when writing in their dialect. This book uses the same method. You would technically be illiterate in Farsi, but you could learn to speak and listen. Designed for Farsi learners, this comprehensive and innovative book makes Farsi language more accessible to students by removing the formidable barrier of the Farsi alphabet. Learn to Speak Farsi in 30 days helps you learn speak Farsi faster than you ever thought possible. You only need to spend about 2 - 3 hours daily in your 30-day period in order to learn Farsi language at intermediate level. Whether you are just starting to get in touch with the Farsi language, or even if you have already learned the basics of the language, this book can help you accelerate the learning process and put you on the right track. Each section of the book contains 6 pages covering a comprehensive range of topics. Each day includes vocabulary, grammar and reading lessons. It gives learners easy access to the Farsi vocabulary and grammar as it is actually used in a comprehensive range of everyday life situations and it teaches students to use Farsi for situations related to work, social life, and leisure. Topics such as greetings, family, weather, sports, food, customs, etc. are presented in interesting unique ways using real-life information. Effortlessly and confidently follow the step-by-step instructions in this book to achieve the highest level of fluency to make you speak Farsi like a native speaker. Learn to Speak Farsi in 30 days is the only book you'll ever need to master Farsi language! It can be used as a self-study course - you do not need to work with a teacher. (It can also be used with a teacher). Published by: www.LearnPersianOnilne.com

Selected Political Writings

Author: Montesquieu
Publisher: Hackett Publishing
ISBN: 9780872200906
Category : Political Science
Languages : en
Pages : 314

Book Description
Rev. ed. of: The political theory of Montesquieu. 1977.

Persian Letters

Author: Charles de Secondat baron de Montesquieu
Publisher: Dissertations-G
ISBN:
Category : Philosophy
Languages : en
Pages : 366

Book Description

Erotic Liberalism

Author: Diana J. Schaub
Publisher: Rowman & Littlefield Publishers
ISBN:
Category : Literary Criticism
Languages : en
Pages : 232

Book Description
A treatment of Montesquieu's Persian Letters, which argues that the novel is a philosophic critique of despotism in all its forms: domestic, political and religious. It shows that Montesquieu believed that the Enlightenment failed as a philosophy by not recognising man as an erotic being.

Iran and a French Empire of Trade, 1700-1808

Author: Junko Thérèse Takeda
Publisher:
ISBN: 9781789622256
Category :
Languages : en
Pages : 292

Book Description
Iran and a French Empire of Trade examines the understudied topic of Franco-Persian relations in the long eighteenth century to highlight how rising tensions among Eurasian empires and revolutions in the Atlantic world were profoundly intertwined. Conflicts between Persia, Turkey, India and Russia, and European weapons-dealing with these empires occurred against a backdrop of climate change and food insecurities that destabilized markets. Takeda shows how the French state relied on "entrepreneurial imperialism" to extend commercial activities eastwards beyond the Mediterranean during this time, from Louis XIV's reign to Napoleon Bonaparte's First Empire. Organized as a collection of microhistories, her study showcases a colourful set of characters--rogue merchants from Marseille, a gambling house madam, a naturalized Greek-French drogman, and a bi-cultural Genevan-Persian consul, among others--to demonstrate how individuals on the fringes of French society spearheaded projects to foster ties between France and Persia. Considering the Enlightenment as a product of a connected world, Takeda investigates how trans-imperial adventurers, merchants, consuls, and informants negotiated treaties, traded commodities and arms, transferred knowledge, and introduced industrial practices from Asia to Europe. And she shows the surprising ways in which Enlightenment debates about regime changes from the Safavid to Qajar dynasties and Persia's borderland wars shaped French ideas about revolution andpolicies related to empire-building.

Persian Letters

Author: Montesquieu
Publisher: Hackett Publishing
ISBN: 1624661823
Category : Philosophy
Languages : en
Pages : 346

Book Description
A classic work of the European Enlightenment--and one of the most popular, if scandalous, in its day--the Persian Letters captures, in an engaging epistolary format, the transformational spirit of the era. Amid an ongoing tale rife with sex, violence, and wit, the work addresses a diverse range of topics from human nature and the origins of society, to the nature and role of religious belief, the role of women, statecraft, justice, morality, and human identity. With skill and artistry, Raymond MacKenzie’s stunning new translation accurately reflects the mood and character of the work. In his richly conceived Introduction, MacKenzie seamlessly weaves together an overview of the period with details of Montesquieu’s life, including the influences that inspired the Persian Letters, the character and power of the book, and its reception. This edition also includes a Calendar of the Persian Letters, a Bibliography of Works in English, and a Bibliography of Works in French. Related texts provide insight into the legacy of the Persian Letters. They include selections from works by George Lyttelton, Voltaire, Oliver Goldsmith, and Maria Edgeworth.