Daniel Defoe au service de l'union anglo-écossaise (1707) : essai d'interprétation des arguments utilisés par Defoe pour promouvoir l'union

Daniel defoe and the anglo-scottish union (1707) : an analysis of the arguments used by defoe to promote the union

• Auteur / Autrice : Yannick Deschamps
• Direction : Suzy Halimi
• Type : Thèse de doctorat
• Discipline(s) : Études anglaises
• Date : Soutenance en 1997
• Etablissement(s) : Paris 3

Mots clés

Mots clés contrôlés

Defoe, Daniel (1661?-1731)

Conditions économiques -- Grande-Bretagne -- 18e siècle

Histoire religieuse -- Grande-Bretagne -- 18e siècle

Résumé

Defoe est indissociablement lie a l'union anglo-ecossaise. Lorsque l'act of union est soumis au parlement ecossais, en 1706-1707, le pamphletaire se trouve a edimbourg. Charge par harley de promouvoir l'union, il assiste aux seances du parlement ecossais. Il siege au comite charge d'examiner les clauses economiques de l'union. Il participe aux reunions de l'assemblee generale de l'eglise d'ecosse. Mais c'est surtout par sa plume que defoe tente de servir l'union. Dans la review et dans nombre de pamphlets, dont une serie d'essays at removing national prejudices against an union, il fait valoir que les eglises etablies d'angleterre et d'ecosse n'ont rien a craindre de l'act of union, que l'ecosse, quoique perdant son parlement, sera bien representee au parlement de westminster et que l'union stimulera l'agriculture, la peche, l'industrie et le commerce ecossais. Defoe, pour les besoins de sa propagande, prend quelques libertes avec la verite : il surestime notamment la capacite de l'union a mettre immediatement l'ecosse sur les rails du progres. Mais il a raison sur plusieurs points. Le statut des eglises d'ecosse et d'angleterre ne sera pas modifie, et l'ecosse finira par profiter de la prosperite anglaise, surtout apres 1750. Par ailleurs, defoe se montre tres habile dans la polemique qui l'oppose aux pamphletaires anti-unionistes. Son utilisation des procedes rhetoriques en particulier est remarquable. Le role de defoe dans le succes de l'union ne saurait donc etre minimise.

Defoe is inextricably linked with the anglo-scottish union. When the act of union was submitted to the scottish parliament, in 1706-1707, the pamphleteer was in edinburgh. Entrusted by harley to promote the union, he attended the sessions of the scottish parliament. He sat in the committee dealing with the economic articles of the union. He participated in the meetings of the general assembly of the church of scotland. But it is essentially with his pen that defoe tried to serve the union. In the review and in numerous pamphlets, among which a series of essays at removing national prejudices against an union, he argues that the established churches of england and scotland have nothing to fear from the act of union, that scotland, although losing its parliament, will be well represented in the westminster parliament, and that the union will stimulate scottish agriculture, fishing, industry and trade. Defoe, following the requirements of propaganda, takes some liberties with the truth :he namely overestimates the capacity of the union to put the scottish economy back onto the rails of progress immediately. But he is right in several respects. The status of the churches of scotland and england will not be altered and scotland will eventually benefit from english prosperity, especially after 1750. Besides, defoe displays much talent in the controversy which brings him into conflict with the anti-unionist pamphleteers. His use of rhetorical devices in particular is remarkable. As a consequence, the role played by defoe in the success of the union should not be minimized.