Gallant conduite
Galante Conduite is a term used in the 17th and early 18th centuries to describe behavior oriented towards the court. The word “ gallant ” refers to the ideal of style and class, which is particularly evident in the aristocratic disposition and courtesy in dealing with the opposite sex; "Conduite" is as a French loan word for performance, behavior , conduct the second part of the term, which thus aligns open to French fashions.
Spread of the term
The term joining gained extremely wide use in the course of the 17th century. The standards of gallant conduite are applied to the organization of military campaigns: the generals who ensure that civilian casualties (compared to the Thirty Years War) are relatively low in the War of the Spanish Succession and the Northern War use gallant conduct stay. The "decent" (respecting the status) dealing with prisoners of war belongs to the same ideal of behavior that John Churchill, 1st Duke of Marlborough , the Eugene of Savoy (sung as " Prince Eugene, the noble knight ") and on the French side the Marchal de Tallard is repeatedly awarded propaganda. The new wars are perceived as "modern" and "civilized" compared to the previous ones thanks to the conduite that has been preserved.
The gallant conduite plays its own role in high politics as the ideal of diplomatic wisdom. In this way, political journalists examine the conduits of leading actors.
At the same time, from the 1680s onwards, the ideal of behavior was widely accepted as a universal ideal of European behavior, which citizens and, above all, young career candidates such as students should make use of. A criticism of the gallant began with its establishment, but it was not until the second decade of the 18th century that propagandists of the gallant Coduite increasingly took the defensive.
Traditions of "Political Wisdom"
In the market for behavioral guides, which flourished in the 17th and 18th centuries largely detached from the market for religious behavioral guides, the production of guides for gallant conduits emerged seamlessly from the production of guides for “wise behavior at court” and “political wisdom”. Between the 1590s and the 1680s they determined the market with a secret orientation towards and open distancing from Machiavelli's Il Principe (1513/32). The central authors, to whom Ratgeber gallant Conduite openly tie in, are Francis Bacon and Baltasar Gracián - Bacon as the author of the essays, Civil and Moral (1597/1625), Gracián as the author of El Discreto (1646, German Der kluge Weltmann ) and the Oráculo manual y arte de prudencia (1647, German: hand oracle and art of sophistication ). The books of political wisdom are already geared towards the court and, with titles like those of Bacon and Gracian, formulated more freely, more interpretable and thus so flexible that they can be reshaped and reinterpreted. In the 1680s they are seamlessly taken over by the propagandists of gallant conduite. They appreciate the focus on sensible, calculating behavior, which shows tactical sophistication, especially when dealing with secrets and moods. This is what Gracian says:
“Playing outside of the open card is neither useful nor enjoyable. Whoever can hold on to himself has the means of keeping the minds of other people in suspenso in his hands, especially when it concerns important things for which everyone is anxiously waiting. Anyone who can do that will keep all his things from secrets, and that arouses respect. "
Christian Thomasius formulates more directly and in the Du, geared towards the student clientele:
“Do you want to have any strange rules on top of that? Don't let anyone know what you're up to . To some his enemies would have done no harm if he could have been silent. Imagine you had something else in mind , or if this does not happen, at least hide what you are doing; so they will seldom harm you. Because things that have happened remain things that have happened, and what has not yet happened can be prevented more easily than what has happened can be redressed and made invalid "
Misrepresentation, " dissimulation " is an essential form of organization of gallant, politically clever conduite. In several of the guides, this leads to moral decision-making problems, since pretense characterizes the behavior of criminals as well as moral role models:
"Deceit and prudence agree that they know how to use skilful and sure means on both sides to achieve their end goal."
The goals make the difference, according to the general rule, but the representative of gallant conduits is also required to conceal his goals. Even in how you deal with friends and enemies, recognizable differences between good and evil collapse: You use all people to achieve your own goals. Who is a friend and who is an enemy is decided flexibly in the situation analysis. Friends are those who help you achieve your goals, enemies are those who oppose your own plans:
“Because friends mean: Those who put their strengths together so that one promotes the other's project and thwart the project of their enemies. On the other hand, those enemies are named whose one tries to prevent the other's plans. "
The prudent approach to dealing with friends includes the calculated dosage of trust and closeness.
“One arrives at this end not only if one deprives them of a part of their courtesy; but also sometimes when one doubles it and, on the other hand, breaks something off from confidentiality. Because you will easily conclude from this that our friendship decreases if you do as many ceremonies with them as you do in daily conversation with friends. "
Thomasius sums this up without further sentimentality. Seen in this way, there are only situational differences between enemies and friends. There are no differences in dealing with them in the conduite, which you have to deal with in the conversation, it is always tactically and strategically aligned:
"The rules of conversation are the same as friends, enemies and strangers."
With gallant authors like Christian Friedrich Hunold , alias Menantes, the concise conclusions can be found in maxims such as:
“In conversation you have to pretend that you are playing chess; and so watch how the game is before you move a stone. "
Orientation towards current fashions
What the guidebooks gallant Conduite have in particular is an orientation towards current fashions. Here they compete with the ongoing production of gallant novels , which repeatedly sell themselves as gallant's textbooks. They also have a special focus on moods. Above all, this has to do with the fact that the gallant is most clearly evident in conversation with women and, more ostentatiously than the solely politically wise behavior, is geared towards the comfort that one should wisely gain in the eyes of others, especially women.
The instructions given by Johann Christian Wächtler, Commodes Manual or Hand-Buch (1709?) Are typical of the recommendations for reading novels, attending operas and learning about newspaper history :
"43. But if one wants to learn to make a skilful speech, one should first use the most beautiful novels in the same language that one is familiar with, among which among the Germans of the so-called and well-known Talander his works probably retain the Præ.
44. However, these do not have to be read at the end so that one only understands the histories and intriques d'amour including their course in and of themselves, but what is mainly required about this is that the reader should pay attention to the discourse occurring therein and conversations in a peculiar manner, but in the intermingled, intelligent manner of speaking.
[...]
47.Furthermore, the reading of the operas also contributes to this not a little, especially among those who love German poetry, although otherwise the same and à part the arias of the eloquence give a great light, if only while reading through what is also observed what § 44. 45th and 46th have been mentioned, which should then be done when reading their weekly gazettes, as especially recommended along with others. "
The erudition to be gained here equips the winner of gallant Conduite with topics of conversation as well as with patterns of conversation. The gallant interaction is primarily geared towards the female sex, who wins presence and respect at court as well as in private dealings among citizens with the gallant. Between 1670 and 1730 several authors wrote books that intellectually and in part even physically make women appear to men. It belongs to the gallant the service that the man renders in the conversation to the woman assigned to him. The conversation is often conducted openly as a love proposal, which the woman must deal with in a constructive way (preserving her virtue, safeguarding her interests). Like politically intelligent behavior, the gallant develops a surface that gains greater freedom while maneuvering room. Johann Leonhard Rost , alias Meletaon, refers to Benjamin Neukirch in the foreword of his book on dance art in the more detailed explanations :
"I hope that it will not be counted as a theft if I include a number of words from Mr. Benjamin Neukirch's instructions on Teutschen Letters here, because although I dare to open up my own thoughts right away, I doubt whether they are better to put on paper could, when this incomparable man designed them, since he wrote pagina 306. of gallant letters: A gallant homme, he says, is nothing else with the Frantzosen than a lively and alert head, who with his kind ideas to please the woman seeks: but through gallantry they understand Schertz love, or those sweets that a gallant is used to saying to his maitresse . "
The concept of Schertz love is not understood everywhere as the surface of a behavior with which one can act pleasantly in society, it exposes itself to abuse, such as the criticism of morality, with which the offer of adultery here becomes politeness.
"The gallantry is nothing other than a joking and clever politeness: and this is not forbidden in the Biebel or otherwise. It is the means of maintaining large societies: It is the way to make yourself popular with high and low. Immediately afterwards, however, he continues. There are very few people to whom this kindness is given by nature, so they either hate it altogether or they do it like the monkeys, who want to do everything they see, but also imitate most of them wrongly. From this it follows what the intended author also adds on page 304. A gallant person must be natural in everything he does, and no matter how natural he is, he must also have something special in all things. If he dances, he must do it without affecting art, but nevertheless with the amazement of all the spectators: If he sings, he must please, if he speaks, he must amuse, if he makes verses, they must penetrate, and he finally writes letters so he must examine his thoughts before he takes them to paper: but when they are written, they must appear as if he had written them without effort. He must make annoying things pleasant, pleasantly annoying; Wish luck on sad incidents, be sad on happy incidents, or know how to give reprimands. With just a few, he must be able to turn everything how and where he wants. To achieve this, however, he must not only be clever and of good invention, but also funny, good and a master of his affects. "
The passage contains essential moments of the gallant: its focus on the discourse between the sexes and the superficiality, which is not only aimed for for moral reasons - the main thing here is to gain room for maneuver. Details are decisive: You cannot win gallant Conduite with pure imitation. You train yourself in everything from dancing to singing to be able to do it impressively, so impressively that you gain the appearance of naturalness. With this mastery of behavior, the gallant Conduite aims at a constructive handling of moods. The gallant hero knows how to turn it around at will. He is able to wish luck in a sad moment, can "turn everything how and where he wants". On key points such as “being a master of his affects”, Meletaon speaks like the authors of the Roman Stoa who determined the previous generation of behavioral advisors. It differs symptomatically in the sovereignty of lightness, which here becomes the ideal. It is important to act as a “lively and alert head”, a “cheerfulness” of your own is required here - in the early 18th century the word for willingness to act with pleasure.
Criticism of the gallant
As early as the 17th century, critics of the gallant Conduite took offense at the intercourse between the sexes, which was here elevated to good form. In a precarious case, the gallant degrades the offer of adultery to a playful opening. In fact, many of the gallant authors record infidelities, especially when they remain undiscovered and without further emotional ties, as “mere gallantries”. The moral freedom of movement in judgment also spreads in the late 17th and early 18th centuries from its own strategic point of view. Scandal writers boast of a gallant understanding of interactions that other readers would morally censor, thus gaining the pretext under which they can "understandingly" spread indiscretions, stories of amours and to the gallant audience with whom they share morals Affairs. It is part of this way of dealing with the public that it is always suitable for publicly discrediting those who become gallant heroes in the reports.
The importance accorded to women by gallant authors, the presence of women on the international book market, became suspect in the course of the 18th century. Dealing responsibly with the press and protecting privacy became an issue in the course of the 18th and 19th centuries in relation to the gallant Conduite.
A consistent criticism of the orientation of behavior towards strategies and tactics, on the other hand, only emerged in the course of the 18th century. In the middle of the century she breaks with female and a little later also male novel and drama heroes, who can no longer use their behavior at will. On the one hand, the new sensitive characters are endowed with weaknesses, to put it in a positive way: the authors grant them the right to have weaknesses. Afterwards, they can no longer optimize their behavior using textbooks from the Conduite; Sensitive behavior also includes a sense of powerlessness. Sensitive heroines blush when they are supposed to appear in public. From the middle of the 18th century, protagonists who act calculatingly and train their behavior in a publicly effective manner become opponents of the sensitive heroes who act solely in their hearts, even if they harm themselves in the process.
The politically wise behavior is not fundamentally disqualified with this reorientation. It is reserved for the politician who is about to distinguish himself as a tactician and strategist. The new division clearly shows that with the replacement of gallant conduits and the establishment of sensitive, sensitive behavior in the middle of the 18th century, it is primarily a matter of repositioning the private and especially women in public.
Individual evidence
- ↑ Baltasar Gracians, Homme de Cour, or: Kluger Hof- und Welt-Mann […] Teutsche translated, by Selintes (Augsburg: P. Kühtz, 1711), p. 3.
- ↑ Kurtzer draft of political intelligence […] from the Latin of Mr. Thomasii (J. Großens Erben, Frankfurt a. M. / Leipzig 1710), p. 100.
- ^ Kurtzer draft of political wisdom [...] from the Latin of Mr. Thomasii (J. Großens Erben, Frankfurt a. M. / Leipzig 1710), p. 38.
- ↑ Kurtzer draft of political intelligence […] from the Latin of Mr. Thomasii (J. Großens Erben, Frankfurt a. M. / Leipzig 1710), pp. 142–143.
- ^ Kurtzer draft of political wisdom [...] from the Latin of Mr. Thomasii (J. Großens Erben, Frankfurt a. M. / Leipzig 1710), p. 161.
- ^ Kurtzer draft of political wisdom [...] from the Latin of Mr. Thomasii (J. Großens Erben, Frankfurt a. M. / Leipzig 1710), p. 106, quoted from the overview of contents at the beginning of the chapter.
- ↑ The best manner in honnéter conversation, to behave politely and cautiously, and to live in a clever conduite [...] by Menantes (Hamburg: JW Fickweiler, 1713), p. 9.
- ↑ Johann Christian Wächtler, Commodes Manual or Hand-Buch (Leipzig: Lanckischens Erben , undated ) - Reprint in: Der galante Stil, 1680-1730 , ed. by C. Wiemann (1969).
- ↑ On the usability of dancing […] by Meletaon (J. Albrecht, Frankfurt a. M. / Leipzig 1713), pp. 5–6.
- ↑ On the usability of dancing […] by Meletaon (J. Albrecht, Frankfurt a. M. / Leipzig 1713), pp. 7–9.
- ↑ See, for example, Menantes in the World of Lovers and Galants (1700).
- ↑ Delarivier Manley's novels are shaped by this specific understanding of gallant weaknesses.
- ↑ On the reallocation of the strategic in the course of the 18th century, see Vera Lee, Love and strategy in the eighteenth-century French novel (Schenkman Books, 1986) and Anton Kirchhofer, Strategy and Truth: On the use of knowledge about passions and gender in the novel English sensitivity (Munich: Fink, 1995). online edition as well as Olaf Simons, Marteaus Europa or Der Roman before he became literature (Amsterdam, 2001), pp. 200–207, 259–290.
literature
- Johann Christian Wächtler: Commodes Manual or Hand-Book. Lanckischens Erben, Leipzig undated [1709?]. Reprinted in: Conrad Wiedemann (Ed.): The gallant style. 1680–1730 (= German texts. Dt. Vol. 11, ISSN 0418-9159 ). Niemeyer, Tübingen 1969.
- Friedrich Wilhelm Scharffenberg: The art of complaisant and gallant conversations [...]. C. Stössel, Chemnitz 1716.
- Thomas Borgstedt, Andreas Solbach (ed.): The gallant discourse. Communication ideal and epoch threshold (= work on modern German literary studies. Vol. 6). Thelem bei web, Dresden 2001, ISBN 3-933592-38-0 .
- Olaf Simons: Marteau's Europe or the novel before it became literature. A study of the German and English books on offer from 1710–1720 (= international research on general and comparative literature. Vol. 52). Rodopi, Amsterdam et al. 2001, ISBN 90-420-1226-9 .
- Sylvia Heudecker, Dirk Niefanger, Jörg Wesche: Cultural orientation around 1700. Traditions, programs, conceptual diversity (= early modern times. FN. Studies and documents on German literature and culture in a European context. Vol. 93). Niemeyer, Tübingen 2004, ISBN 3-484-36593-5 .
- Jörn Steigerwald: Gallantry as cultural identity formation: French-German cultural transfer under the sign of the Querelles (Dominique Bouhours - Christian Thomasius - Benjamin Neukirch). In: Christian Emden, David Midgley (Ed.): German Literature, History and the Nation (= Papers from the Conference 'The Fragile Tradition'. Vol. 2 = Cultural History and Literary Imagination. Vol. 2). Lang, Oxford et al. 2004, ISBN 3-03-910169-2 , pp. 119-141.
- Florian Gelzer: Conversation, gallantry and adventure. Romanesque narration between Thomasius and Wieland (= early modern times. FN. Studies and documents on German literature and culture in a European context. Vol. 125). Niemeyer, Tübingen 2007, ISBN 978-3-484-36625-1 .
- Jörn Steigerwald: L'appropriation culturelle de la galanterie en Allemagne: Christian Thomasius lecteur de Madeleine de Scudéry. In: Romance journal for the history of literature. Vol. 32, Issue 1/2, 2008, pp. 31-46.
- Alain Viala: La France galante. Essai historique sur une catégorie culturelle, de ses origines jusqu'à la Révolution. Presses Univ. de France, Paris 2008, ISBN 978-2-13-056417-1 .