Anti-religion and the anti established immoral novelist: Who is Pierre de Laclos?
French writer. He became famous for his novel based on psychological analysis and reflecting the decline of the nobility. Laclos is also known for his commitment to the Libertine movement, which advocates acting outside the established moral and religious rules.
Pierre Ambroise François Choderlos de Laclos was born on 18 October 1741 in Amiens and died on 5 September 1803 in Taranto, Italy. His family was of Spanish descent. He was raised as a soldier. In 1761 he became an artillery lieutenant, then a lieutenant in the Colonies Brigade. He distinguished himself with his political relations during the French Revolution and joined the Jacobins. He was appointed chief of staff of the Pyrenean Armies and general manager of the French colonies in India. Although he was arrested for treason in 1793, he was released to promote a cannon he had developed. He was then imprisoned again for a year. After returning to his duty in the army, he was promoted to brigadier general. He died of dysentery while participating in the defense of Taranto at the head of the French army in Italy during the Napoleonic era.
Pierre Ambroise François Choderlos de Laclos (18 October 1741 – 5 September 1803) was a French novelist, official, Freemason and army general, best known for writing the epistolary novel Les Liaisons dangereuses (Dangerous Liaisons) (1782).
Laclos is also known for his commitment to the Libertine movement, which advocates acting outside the established moral and religious rules. The most well-known product of this movement in the field of literature is his only novel, Les Liaisons Dangereues. The work, in which people are examined psychologically, is in the form of correspondence. Laclos aimed to bring a different approach to the subject of love and discussed the collapse of the noble class. The protagonist of the novel, with the awareness of her social weakness due to being a woman, uses her intelligence to influence people's lives and finds satisfaction with their unhappiness. Although he is shown to be punished in the end, the main weight is given to his victory over his victims. Laclos also has an essay on the education of women, a work that mocks obsolete methods in the army, and two librettos.
Details of his story
Choosing the military profession, he became an artillery lieutenant in 1761 and was in many garrisons.
While in Grenoble he sent several poems to the journal Almanach des Muses (1769); but only while on the island of Aix was he able to devote his spare time to writing a long novel: Les Liaisons Dan-gereuses; He worked on this novel from July 1780 to the beginning of 1782.
Although the book was suddenly a great success, it was not enough to direct its author to literature entirely.
It is certain that he started De l'Education des Femmes (On the Education of Women) [1785] on a subject raised by the academy of Chalon-sur-Marne, but especially Lettre â MM. With his de VAcademie sur l'Eloge de Vauban (Letter to Honorable Academy members in praise of Vauban) [1786], he came to the attention of the military forces.
He was sent to the garrison of Toul for his critical views in this book: he made friends with the viscount of Noailles there; He brought Viscount Laclos into the court of Philippe d'Orleans in 1788. During the entire period of the revolution, Laclos was one of the most active proponents of Philippe's politics: as a member of the Jacobins club (November 1790), he delivered many orations.
Laclos, who became commissar in Luckner's army in 1792, reorganized the artillery and was appointed chief of staff of the Pyrenean armies; He was later appointed general manager of the French establishments in India (1792).
Suspected of collaborating with Dumouriez, he was imprisoned in April 1793, but was later released so that he could experiment with one of his inventions, the "hollow cannonball". 1793 Finally, he was arrested again; 9 - Re-released in Thermidor.
Notable for his treatise De la Guerre et de la Paix (On War and Peace) [1795], he was reinstated in the army and remained secretary general of mortgages until 1800.
It was Camot (1800) who reassigned him to the army with the rank of brigadier general: he was given to the Rhine army, the Italian army, respectively, joined the defense of Tarento, and died as soon as he arrived in this city.
His political and military life occupies a larger place in Laclos's life than literature, but his name has not been forgotten thanks to his novel that enriches psychology by taking the feeling of love from a new and disturbing perspective.