Edited by Rotraud von Kulessa and Catriona Seth
During the Enlightenment, many men and women of letters envisaged the continent’s future, in particular when stressing their hope that peace could be secured in Europe. Published in French, and edited by academics from the University of Oxford and the University of Augsburg, with colleagues from different European countries, this volume gathers such texts on Europe, its history, its diversity, but also on what its nations have in common.
The historical origins of a projected European union, the desire to consolidate the continent’s ties to the Maghreb or to Turkey, the importance granted to commerce and the worries engendered by history’s convulsions, but also the hope vested in future generations are all apparent in the texts included in this anthology. The publication of this book coincides with the 2017 French Presidential Election on May 7th and Europe day on May 5th-9th – with the EU’s future uncertain, these issues have never been more critical, this volume could not have been more timely.
L'idée de l’Europe au Siècle des Lumières is a radically accessible resource, free to read, download and reuse under a Creative Commons Open Access license. There are plans to publish an English and German translation of this volume, with student involvement, in the near future.
The editors and translators of L'idée de l’Europe au Siècle des Lumières chose to publish in Open Access so that their work could reach the largest number of readers possible. This book is available to read for free online here. L'idée de l’Europe will also available in interactive e-book and inexpensive paperback and hardback editions.
Open Book Publishers is a non-profit organization and the leading Open Access publisher of monographs in the UK. We are committed to making high-quality research freely available to readers around the world. This dedication to changing the nature of the traditional academic book continues with L'idée de l’Europe au Siècle des Lumières.
