Dear both of you, Sophie’s philosophy teacher ought to have underlined
the significance of the French Enlightenment for the ideals and principles the
UN is founded on. Two hundred years ago, the slogan “Liberty, Equality, and
Fraternity” helped unite the people of France. Today the same words should
unite the whole world. It is more important now than ever before to be one big
Family of Man. Our descendants are our own children and grandchildren.
What kind of world are they inheriting from us?
Hilde’s mother was calling from downstairs that the mystery was starting in ten
minutes and that she had put the pizza in the oven. Hilde was quite exhausted after all
she had read. She had been up since six o’clock this morning.
She decided to spend the rest of the evening celebrating her birthday with her
mother. But first she had to look something up in her encyclopedia.
Gouges ... no. De Gouges? No again. Olympe de Gouges? Still a blank. This
encyclopedia had not written one single word about the woman who was beheaded for
her political commitment. Wasn’t that scandalous!
She was surely not just someone her father had thought up?
Hilde ran downstairs to get a bigger encyclopedia.
“I just have to look something up,” she said to her astounded mother.
She took the FORV to GP volume of the big family encyclopedia and ran up to
her room again.
Gouges ... there she was!
Gouges, Marie Olympe (1748-1793), Fr. author, played a prominent role during
the French Revolution with numerous brochures on social questions and several plays.
One of the few during the Revolution who campaigned for human rights to apply to
women. In 1791 published “Declaration on the Rights of Women.” Beheaded in 1793
for daring to defend Louis XVI and oppose Robespierre. (Lit: L. Lacour, “Les
Origines du feminisme contem-porain,” 1900)
Kant
...the starry heavens above me and the moral law within me...
It was close to midnight before Major Albert Knag called home to wish Hilde a
happy birthday. Hilde’s mother answered the telephone.
“It’s for you, Hilde.”
“Hello?”
“It’s Dad.”
“Are you crazy? It’s nearly midnight!”
“I just wanted to say Happy Birthday ...”
“You’ve been doing that all day.”
“... but I didn’t want to call before the day was over.”
“Why?”
“Didn’t you get my present?”
“Yes, I did. Thank you very much.”
“I can’t wait to hear what you think of it.”
“It’s terrific. I have hardly eaten all day, it’s so exciting.”
“I have to know how far you’ve gotten.”
“They just went inside the major’s cabin because you started teasing them with
a sea serpent.”
“The Enlightenment.”
“And Olympe de Gouges.”