From Theology to Philosophy: Latin as a tool of la Raison in the work of Du Marsais

Abstract

The present work, which is a segment of an ongoing doctoral research, consists of a brief analysis of the work titled Exposition d’une méthode raisonnée pour apprendre la langue latine (Exposition of a reasoned method for learning the Latin language) (1722), authored by the French grammarian and philosopher César Chesneau Du Marsais (1676-1756). Du Marsais, who authored works such as Méthode raisonnée (1722), Traité des Tropes (1730), Principes de Grammaire (1769), among others, was also a contributor to the Encyclopédie, ou dictionnaire raisonné des sciences, des arts et des métiers (D’ALEMBERT; DIDEROT, 1751-1772), responsible for the grammar articles within the publication. As a result, the philosopher became a highly regarded grammarian in France, also influencing the linguistic thought of grammarians in other countries. One of Du Marsais' major works, which constitutes the focus of the doctoral research, "méthode raisonnée," is a method for learning the Latin language within a secular context, thereby breaking away from Jesuit educational standards. The circulation of this method had positive repercussions due to its organization, structure, methodology, and its 'innovative' characteristic. However, it also faced negative repercussions due to its secular approach to education.