Emergence of a Theatrical Science of Man in France, 1660 - 1740

"The emergence of a theatrical science of man in France, 1660-1740 highlights a radical departure from discussions of dramatic literature and its undergirding rules to a new, relational discourse on the emotional power of the theater. Through a diverse cast of religious theaterphobes, government officials, playwrights, art theorists, and protophilosophes, Connors shows the concerted effort in early Enlightenment France to use texts about theater to establish broader theories on emotion, on the enduring psychological and social ramification of affecting moments, and, more generally, on human interaction, motivation, and social behavior."-- Cover page 4.