How can we speak of a political culture in France during the reigns of Louis XIV and Louis XV? We have an extraordinary source that we can use as a guideline: the reception speeches [and responses] at the Académie française. We think that political life remained in the shadows under the Sun King, but the speeches of the "Immortals", if read closely, present a different perspective. The speeches from the end of the reign (circa 1690-1715) bear little resemblance to those of the 1660s, 1670s and 1680s. A comparison of Fénelon's speech with his secret letter to Louis XIV, for example, clearly shows the flexibility of Louis XIV's new critic.
11:00 to 12:00
