Essais de morale et de critique

work by Renan

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June 26, 2026

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Essais de morale et de critique (1859) is a collection of essays by French philosopher and historian Ernest Renan. These essays, originally published in periodicals like the Revue des Deux Mondes, critique the materialism and intolerance of the Second French Empire. Renan advocated for intellectuals to act as "bastions of the spirit," resisting tyranny through intellectual and spiritual refinement. The work reflects Renan's broader scholarly approach to religion and history, emphasizing a humanistic perspective.1

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Ernest Renan
Early works
…Studies of Religious History) and Essais de morale et de critique (1859; “Moral and Critical Essays”), first written for the Revue des Deux Mondes and the Journal des Débats. The Études inculcated into a middle-class public the insight and sensitivity of the historical, humanistic approach to religion. Many of the…
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…Studies of Religious History) and Essais de morale et de critique (1859; “Moral and Critical Essays”), first written for the Revue des Deux Mondes and the Journal des Débats. The Études inculcated into a middle-class public the insight and sensitivity of the historical, humanistic approach to religion. Many of the…
Read More