My diploma thesis called Search of happiness in Voltaire's novels aims to analyse the theme of happiness in prose works Micromegas, L'Ingénu, Zadig and Candide. The analysis is preceded by an introduction showing the evolution of the theme of happiness through different historical periods. This theoretical part is also followed by a definition of philosophical novel as a typical Voltaire's way of expressing his philosophical thoughts. The analysis itself underlines common points of view found in the novels which all describe a world full of evil, disasters and misfortune. Good and honest heroes enter into this bad world and they struggle to find their place in the sun. Their nice personalities present a big contrast to the merciless world which surrounds them. The analysed examples from novels highlight major problems in Voltaire's time but a lot of parallels are found in today's world. I systematically pay attention to these parallels throughout the diploma. The analysis leads to the description of incorrigibly bad world, where only small islands of happiness can be found represented by friendship and love. We can only deal with such a life thanks to a meaningful activity which can make it bearable. The philosopher's approach to the theme which still captures people's attention is evaluated in the...

Esta pesquisa apresenta um estudo dos protagonistas do romance Histoire de Juliette, ou Les prospérités du vice (1801) do Marquês de Sade. O objetivo do trabalho é evidenciar a progressão dos enunciados filosóficos dos personagens, dentro das cenas libidinosas nas quais são proferidos, relacionando as teorias e as práticas particulares de cada herói com os traços de seu caráter. Tal abordagem supõe a tese de que há uma interdependência entre os argumentos do libertino e sua construção dentro da narrativa ficcional. Cada devasso expõe um conjunto singular de ideias, determinado por suas características morais, físicas e por outros aspectos que constituem o gênero do romance filosófico. Logo, este estudo não propõe uma interpretação específica para o pensamento de Sade, mas salienta a oposição e a convergência de ideias em sua obra, acentua o debate entre os personagens, expõe, portanto, a diversidade dos discursos libertinos. / This research intends to analyze the protagonists from the novel Histoire de Juliette, ou Les prospérités du vice (1801) by the Marquis de Sade. Our goal is to evidence the development of the philosophical statements of the characters, within the libidinous scenes where they take place, relating the theory and practice of each hero with his/her personality. This approach assumes an interplay between the libertine\'s arguments and their construction in the fictional narrative. Each person presents a unique set of ideas, determined by his/her moral and physical traits, in addition to all the other aspects found in the philosophical novel gender. We, therefore, do not present a specific interpretation for the thinking of Sade, rather, we stress the opposition and convergence of ideas in his work, underlining the debate among the characters to point out the diversity of discourse amidst the libertines.

Esta pesquisa apresenta um estudo dos protagonistas do romance Histoire de Juliette, ou Les prospérités du vice (1801) do Marquês de Sade. O objetivo do trabalho é evidenciar a progressão dos enunciados filosóficos dos personagens, dentro das cenas libidinosas nas quais são proferidos, relacionando as teorias e as práticas particulares de cada herói com os traços de seu caráter. Tal abordagem supõe a tese de que há uma interdependência entre os argumentos do libertino e sua construção dentro da narrativa ficcional. Cada devasso expõe um conjunto singular de ideias, determinado por suas características morais, físicas e por outros aspectos que constituem o gênero do romance filosófico. Logo, este estudo não propõe uma interpretação específica para o pensamento de Sade, mas salienta a oposição e a convergência de ideias em sua obra, acentua o debate entre os personagens, expõe, portanto, a diversidade dos discursos libertinos. / This research intends to analyze the protagonists from the novel Histoire de Juliette, ou Les prospérités du vice (1801) by the Marquis de Sade. Our goal is to evidence the development of the philosophical statements of the characters, within the libidinous scenes where they take place, relating the theory and practice of each hero with his/her personality. This approach assumes an interplay between the libertine\'s arguments and their construction in the fictional narrative. Each person presents a unique set of ideas, determined by his/her moral and physical traits, in addition to all the other aspects found in the philosophical novel gender. We, therefore, do not present a specific interpretation for the thinking of Sade, rather, we stress the opposition and convergence of ideas in his work, underlining the debate among the characters to point out the diversity of discourse amidst the libertines.

Ce mémoire, qui s’intéresse aux enjeux de l’imbrication du philosophique et du romanesque chez les penseurs des Lumières françaises, cherchera à mettre de l’avant la contribution originale de Denis Diderot à la réflexion philosophique sur le roman, de même qu’à l’exploration des ressources littéraires permettant de philosopher par le roman. Nous nous proposons, dans un premier temps, d’examiner ce qui relève d'une théorisation explicite de l'écriture des fictions narratives dans l’oeuvre du philosophe langrois. Nous nous attacherons à montrer comment l’approfondissement des thèses de son matérialisme, ainsi que les déceptions consécutives à ses projets de réforme du théâtre, sont venus bouleverser les conceptions esthétiques et morales qui formaient le premier horizon normatif à partir duquel Diderot envisageait les modalités idéales de l'écriture et de la réception romanesques. Puis, dans un deuxième temps, nous chercherons à faire voir comment Diderot, à titre d’auteur de fictions narratives, entreprend une exploration aussi originale que féconde des ressorts proprement philosophiques de l’écriture romanesque. Les dernières sections de notre étude seront consacrées à une lecture approfondie de Jacques le fataliste et son maître. Nous tâcherons d’abord d’en dégager les principales ressources mises au service de la formation d’un lecteur de romans plus lucide et plus critique. Puis, nous chercherons à mettre en lumière de quelle façon cette propédeutique, si elle réussit, doit ultimement conduire le lecteur à entamer un véritable dialogue avec l’oeuvre, tant sur les questions métaphysiques et ontologiques qu’entraîne le « fatalisme » de Jacques, que sur les enjeux moraux qui en découlent. / This thesis, which deals with the interweaving of philosophy and literature in the work of French Enlightenment thinkers, seeks to shed light on Denis Diderot’s unique contributions to philosophical reflection on the novel, as well as to the exploration of the literary resources that make it possible to delve into philosophical issues through the novel. Beginning with an examination of Diderot’s explicit theories about writing narrative fiction, it argues that the outgrowth of his materialism and the disenchantment following his attempts at theatre reform upended the aesthetic and moral basis for the initial normative framework underpinning his analysis of how fiction is ideally written and received. It goes on to examine how Diderot, as a novelist, undertook an innovative and fruitful exploration of the unsuspected philosophical resources that narrative fiction offers. The final sections are devoted to a close reading of Jacques the Fatalist and His Master, beginning with an attempt to identify the main resources it deploys to train more lucid and critical readers of fiction. The thesis then seeks to show how this knowledge base, if successfully transmitted, ultimately leads the reader to engage in a genuine dialogue with the work, both in terms of the metaphysical and ontological issues raised by Jacques’ “fatalism” and the moral issues that ensue.