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Even as a strong, divine-right monarchy emerged in France, following the Renaissance wars of religion, rebellious French thinkers never stopped questioning the foundations of power. They focused critically not only on the claims of authority issuing from the top, but also on the submissiveness of the governed and the reach of propaganda. This course examines how power shapes minds and bodies, from absolutism to the Revolution, to democratic laïcité. Readings include works by La Boétie, Montaigne, Loyseau, Bayle, Rousseau, Saint-Just, Maistre, Tocqueville, Foucault, Lefort, Rancière and the Assemblée Nationale. Readings and discussion in English.