FR4125 The French 18th Century: An Age of Enchantment?

Academic year

2025 to 2026 Semester 1

Further information on which modules are specific to your programme.

Key module information

SCOTCAT credits

15

The Scottish Credit Accumulation and Transfer (SCOTCAT) system allows credits gained in Scotland to be transferred between institutions. The number of credits associated with a module gives an indication of the amount of learning effort required by the learner. European Credit Transfer System (ECTS) credits are half the value of SCOTCAT credits.

SCQF level

SCQF level 10

The Scottish Credit and Qualifications Framework (SCQF) provides an indication of the complexity of award qualifications and associated learning and operates on an ascending numeric scale from Levels 1-12 with SCQF Level 10 equating to a Scottish undergraduate Honours degree.

Availability restrictions

Cap and allocation to follow the French Dept's policy at the time of advising.

Planned timetable

TBC

This information is given as indicative. Timetable may change at short notice depending on room availability.

Module coordinator

Dr M Ganofsky

Dr M Ganofsky
This information is given as indicative. Staff involved in a module may change at short notice depending on availability and circumstances.

Module Staff

Dr M Ganofsky

This information is given as indicative. Staff involved in a module may change at short notice depending on availability and circumstances.

Module description

This module invites students to study the French 18th century from a fresh and critical perspective, by addressing this period's fascination with enchantment, magic and illusions. Through this module, students will probe--and eventually debunk--the myth that the Enlightenment disenchanted the world. Each week will focus on a different topic (journeys, knowledge, nature, pleasure etc.) which we will study through a variety of sources, from paintings to fiction through to philosophical essays and music, whilst also addressing the representations of the period in the following centuries (from Verlaine's Fêtes galantes to Coppola's Marie Antoinette). With this module, we will study the role of imagination in the search for truth, and explore the extent to which the discoveries of that century reconfigured society, humanity, nature and the cosmos as sources of wonder and admiration.

Relationship to other modules

Pre-requisites

HONOURS ENTRY INTO FRENCH AND PERMISSION OF THE FRENCH HONOURS ADVISER

Assessment pattern

Coursework = 100%

Re-assessment

Coursework = 100%

Learning and teaching methods and delivery

Weekly contact

One 2-hour tutorial per week (x9 weeks)

Scheduled learning hours

28

The number of compulsory student:staff contact hours over the period of the module.

Guided independent study hours

122

The number of hours that students are expected to invest in independent study over the period of the module.

Intended learning outcomes

  • Knowledge of a pivotal period in French/Western history
  • Development of critical thinking by re-evaluating the traditional representation of a period and its ideas
  • Research skills, as this module's coursework will invite students to explore a topic of their choice and to lead their own research project to answer an essay question
  • Language-learning skills (written and oral), as this module will be taught and assessed in French
  • Literary analytical skills, as we will be looking at 18th-century texts very closely through commentaries during the tutorials