Charlatans (2): Turmoil Among the Authorities

Introduction

This year, Professor Antoine Lilti’s course will continue the exploration begun last year on the figure of the “charlatan” in Enlightenment Europe. The transformations of the public sphere and the media revolution of the Enlightenment gave rise to a critique of the abuses of scholarly authority. Is the charlatan the philosopher’s adversary—a false scholar who seeks to deceive the public rather than enlighten it—or rather his secret double, his guilty conscience? The course will also emphasize the political dimensions of charlatanism, as a metaphor for deception and imposture, and will extend the inquiry beyond the French Revolution.