Fenelon, Francois de Salignac de la Mothe- << fayn LAWN, frahn SWAH duh sa lee NYAK duh la MAWT >> (1651-1715), was a French author and a Roman Catholic archbishop. He became known for his advanced political, social, and educational ideas.
Fenelon’s Treatise on the Education of Girls (1687) shows his keen understanding of child psychology. His best-known work is Telemachus (1695-1699), a novel written to instruct the Duke of Burgundy, grandson of King Louis XIV. The book is about a young man who observes the governments of many countries. It was intended to teach the duke the duties of high office. Fenelon’s criticism of absolute monarchy was implied in Telemachus and clearly stated in a Letter to Louis XIV, published after Fenelon’s death. The main ideas described in Telemachus had been foreshadowed by his Dialogs of the Dead (1692). In Maxims of the Saints (1697), Fenelon favored quietism, a religious movement that denied the value of conventional religious practices. The church condemned the Maxims, and Fenelon lost his influence in religious life and court life.
Fenelon was born on Aug. 6, 1651, at Perigord. He was ordained about 1675 and was appointed archbishop of Cambrai in 1695. He died on Jan. 7, 1715.
