FRENCH 105E: Five Words that Shaped French Culture

Course Description

"Liberté", "égalité", "laïcité" but also ""race"" and ""nation"" have shaped France's political history since 1789. The concepts sound familiar, yet their specifically French connotations are often misunderstood and may be untranslatable. Looking at historical archives, scholarly articles, films, and iconographic documents, the course examines their polemical origin, their fluctuating and often-contested meanings, and the contemporary debates that continue to fuel heated controversies over their legacy, relevance, and necessary reformation. A journey through key historical dates of French history, and the tumultuous making of French political identity.