La relation éducative genlisienne, ou La distorsion du lien pédagogique

Abstract

This article evokes Madame de Genlis and her participation in the cultural life of the eighteenth century, which was full of intellectual effervescence in spite of her strong anti-philosophic stance. The fundamental idea of the Enlightenment is the quest for human happiness in this world. One of the keys to open the door of human happiness is education. This essay analyzes how, as the governor of princes, Genlis took on the subject of education, experimenting on the sons and daughters of the Orléans family and writing an educational book entitled Adèle and Théodore. The article discusses the contributions of that original epistolary work to the development of enlightened didactic thought. However, this examination also shows how the strong will to give a perfect education consumes the very nature of the developing human being and affects the pedagogical connection between teacher and pupil.