The French Way of Life; e-pub

Description

The « French Way of Life » exists—philosopher Yves Roucaute has encountered it and finds it amusing. This humorous and flavorful investigation, full of irony, unfolds like a Sherlock Holmes-style inquiry. It begins by recounting the typical day of a French person, unveiling the hidden meaning behind the sweet breakfast: the crispy croissant, which innocently celebrates the victory over the Turks; the madeleine and Saint James of Compostela; the buttered tartine and jam… The narrative then moves on to explain the significance of lunches, aperitifs, dinners, and suppers.

Roucaute takes us through the French art of dining: how to set the table, why the knife is placed on the right with its blade facing the plate, the purpose of the fork, the order of glass placement, the role of wine and bread, the significance of the tablecloth, and how to choose wines. He reveals the distinct French style, often surprising to outsiders, through chapters on French etiquette when invited to someone’s home, and the secret language of flowers.

We then delve into the world of fashion, from the invention of casual attire like jeans and t-shirts to haute couture. The journey concludes with the status of women, tracing back to the Middle Ages with the invention of gallantry and courtly love during tournaments, French attitudes toward sexuality and love, distinguishing between eroticism and pornography, and which reveals the French commitment to equality of rights and the dignity of women.

The philosopher then guides us on a discovery of the 11-million-square-kilometer empire that propagates this way of life across five continents, from Polynesia to the Kerguelen Islands, born of maritime competition with the Spanish, Portuguese, English, and Dutch. Along the way, he recounts the true history of France, from the Gauls to Clovis and Charlemagne, who shaped it as a nation through the assimilation of values. The journey continues with Marianne and her rooster—proud and combative—through endless village feuds, a passion for social justice and equality, the Reign of Terror, Bonaparte, the French doctors, freedom fighters, and de Gaulle. This is a history that intertwines a passion for human rights and liberty with colonialism, slavery, and imperialism.

Finally, after exploring the cultural allure of this nation despite its crises and contradictions, the book reveals the secret of the French magic potion.

Yves Roucaute, a philosopher, university professor since the age of 33, writer, Doctor of Political Science, agrégé in political science, and agrégé in philosophy, is the author of works such as Le Bel Avenir de l’Humanité, une réponse à Yuval Noah Harari (The Bright Future of Humanity, a response to Yuval Noah Harari), Homo Creator in the Face of a Merciless Planet, and L’Obscurantisme Vert, la veritable histoire de l’humanité (Green Obscurantism: The True History of Humanity).