Éclairages foucaldiens sur l’incrimination du déisme et de la libre pensée dans la jeune République américaine
The development of deistical freethought, which appealed to a growing share of the American population at the turn of the nineteenth century, gradually became a matter of concern for the Protestant religious authorities that endeavored to counter its growth by targeting and incriminating it under th...
Saved in:
Main Author: | |
---|---|
Format: | Article |
Language: | English |
Published: |
Association Française d'Etudes Américaines
2022-12-01
|
Series: | Transatlantica |
Subjects: | |
Online Access: | https://journals.openedition.org/transatlantica/20159 |
Tags: |
Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
|
_version_ | 1832580765007740928 |
---|---|
author | Auréliane Narvaez |
author_facet | Auréliane Narvaez |
author_sort | Auréliane Narvaez |
collection | DOAJ |
description | The development of deistical freethought, which appealed to a growing share of the American population at the turn of the nineteenth century, gradually became a matter of concern for the Protestant religious authorities that endeavored to counter its growth by targeting and incriminating it under the umbrella term of religious “infidelity.” Led by actors of orthodox and evangelical Protestantism alike, this unprecedented attack on deism relied on the vindication of disciplinary, social, as well as sanitary norms. To what extent can Foucault’s concepts of governmentality and biopolitics be conducive to a better understanding of the characteristics and mechanisms of this anti-infidel controversy? These assaults on religious infidelity framed deism as a multifaceted peril disrupting the stability of the young Republic, ultimately forging a form of Protestant governmentality that sought to make the population internalize the rejection of religious skepticism. Undermining deism thus hinged on security and sanitary discourses that associated religious infidelity with anarchy, criminality, and even insanity. Conflating religious and sexual infidelity also contributed to the development of a biopolitics of femininity and womanhood that presented freethought and the critique of religion as synonymous with licentiousness and moral depravity. |
format | Article |
id | doaj-art-7e8e56a1ecbb4764b4ec21ae66234067 |
institution | Kabale University |
issn | 1765-2766 |
language | English |
publishDate | 2022-12-01 |
publisher | Association Française d'Etudes Américaines |
record_format | Article |
series | Transatlantica |
spelling | doaj-art-7e8e56a1ecbb4764b4ec21ae662340672025-01-30T10:43:24ZengAssociation Française d'Etudes AméricainesTransatlantica1765-27662022-12-01210.4000/transatlantica.20159Éclairages foucaldiens sur l’incrimination du déisme et de la libre pensée dans la jeune République américaineAuréliane NarvaezThe development of deistical freethought, which appealed to a growing share of the American population at the turn of the nineteenth century, gradually became a matter of concern for the Protestant religious authorities that endeavored to counter its growth by targeting and incriminating it under the umbrella term of religious “infidelity.” Led by actors of orthodox and evangelical Protestantism alike, this unprecedented attack on deism relied on the vindication of disciplinary, social, as well as sanitary norms. To what extent can Foucault’s concepts of governmentality and biopolitics be conducive to a better understanding of the characteristics and mechanisms of this anti-infidel controversy? These assaults on religious infidelity framed deism as a multifaceted peril disrupting the stability of the young Republic, ultimately forging a form of Protestant governmentality that sought to make the population internalize the rejection of religious skepticism. Undermining deism thus hinged on security and sanitary discourses that associated religious infidelity with anarchy, criminality, and even insanity. Conflating religious and sexual infidelity also contributed to the development of a biopolitics of femininity and womanhood that presented freethought and the critique of religion as synonymous with licentiousness and moral depravity.https://journals.openedition.org/transatlantica/20159sexualitynineteenth centurybiopoliticsfreethoughtwomen’s rightsFoucault (Michel) |
spellingShingle | Auréliane Narvaez Éclairages foucaldiens sur l’incrimination du déisme et de la libre pensée dans la jeune République américaine Transatlantica sexuality nineteenth century biopolitics freethought women’s rights Foucault (Michel) |
title | Éclairages foucaldiens sur l’incrimination du déisme et de la libre pensée dans la jeune République américaine |
title_full | Éclairages foucaldiens sur l’incrimination du déisme et de la libre pensée dans la jeune République américaine |
title_fullStr | Éclairages foucaldiens sur l’incrimination du déisme et de la libre pensée dans la jeune République américaine |
title_full_unstemmed | Éclairages foucaldiens sur l’incrimination du déisme et de la libre pensée dans la jeune République américaine |
title_short | Éclairages foucaldiens sur l’incrimination du déisme et de la libre pensée dans la jeune République américaine |
title_sort | eclairages foucaldiens sur l incrimination du deisme et de la libre pensee dans la jeune republique americaine |
topic | sexuality nineteenth century biopolitics freethought women’s rights Foucault (Michel) |
url | https://journals.openedition.org/transatlantica/20159 |
work_keys_str_mv | AT aurelianenarvaez eclairagesfoucaldienssurlincriminationdudeismeetdelalibrepenseedanslajeunerepubliqueamericaine |