Description
Book SynopsisFrancois Rabelais wrote Gargantua and Pantagruel at the height of the Renaissance, when top-caliber thinkers aimed to unite the best of freshly rediscovered ancient Greco-Roman theory and practice and transform politics. Through his work, Rabelais offers his unique understanding of ancient philosophy and political thought. This book considers the role of fortune as the key to understanding Rabelais, much in the manner of contemporaries such as Machiavelli. The two could not be more different, however. Throughout his writings, Rabelais attempts to restore respect for the goddess Fortuna through a cheerful restatement of the case for the sober classical attitude toward future things. As Rabelais's headstrong character Panurge seeks counsel regarding his marriage prospects, various authorities repeatedly warn him that cuckoldry and spousal abuse await. Panurge looks foolhardy during these admonitions. Far from affirming Machiavelli's instruction, given in chapter 25 of The Prince, to beat
Trade ReviewRabelais dedicates his strange and fascinating masterpiece to the "most noble boozers," inviting his reader to drink deeply from his overflowing bottle. Timothy Haglund has dutifully followed this advice and proves a witty and insightful partner for the reader of Gargantua and Pantagruel. Haglund attends to the full range of Rabelais' concerns with the individual, family, and polity through the lens of the author's appreciative but critical engagement with Machiavelli. -- John T. Scott, University of California, Davis
“An introduction to the political philosophy in the comic works of Rabelais, explaining the ‘benevolent’ possibility that his drunken wit is actually intended as a response to Machiavelli. The author’s fascinating discoveries support his argument, and the result is an important advance in the appreciation of a philosophical comedian.” -- Harvey Mansfield, Professor of Government, Harvard University; Senior Fellow, Hoover Institution
Table of ContentsChapter One: Our Religion, the Political State, Private Life Chapter Two: Interpreting Rabelais Pantagruelically Chapter Three: Philosophers as Citizens: Diogenism, Machiavellianism, Pantagruelism Chapter Four: Interpreting Machiavelli Pantagruelically Chapter Five: Dutiful Philosophy: The Role Of Debvoir In Panurge’s Outlook Chapter Six: Panurge Versus The Authorities Chapter Seven: Blowing Bubbles, Understanding Nature Chapter Eight: Back to Diogenes’ Barrel—and Tomb
