334 Ch. 9 • Enlightened Thought And The Republic Of Letters
An actor reading from a work of Voltaire at the salon of Madame Geoffrin. Notethe bust of Voltaire, then in exile.
believed linked the human body to the universe, was debated. The French
Academy of Science vigorously denounced Mesmerism as nothing more
than resourceful charlatanism.
In France and in some Italian cities academies played a similar role to
that of the salons. These were not “academies” in the sense of offering an
organized curriculum, but rather formal gatherings taking place about every
two weeks of people interested in science and philosophy. Meetings con
sisted of reading minutes and correspondence, followed by lectures and
debates. The academies also helped spread Enlightenment ideas by bring
ing together people, including some clergymen, eager to discuss the works
of the philosophes. Unlike the salons, women (with several exceptions) were
not elected to the academies.
The French academies served two masters: the king and the public. They
depended on royal intendants, governors, and other state officials for fund
ing and meeting places. The monarchy believed that the academies served
the public interest because members discussed questions of contemporary
importance. Some academics sponsored essay competitions in the arts and
sciences; during the decade of the 1780s, more than 600 such competitions
were held. Topics increasingly reflected Enlightenment influence, such as
“religious intolerance and the role of magistrates in the defense of liberty.”
Many members of the provincial academies began by mid-century to
think of themselves both as representing public opinion in their role as
informal counselors to the monarchy, and interpreting the sciences and