Abstract: Since the middle of the last century, there have been disputes around the classicist doctrine, which blur the seemingly clear picture of the art of the XVII century and show that along with the aesthetics of classicism, the aesthetics of rules and order, there was another gallant aesthetics.
In this dispute about classicism and aesthetic theories of the XVII century, the concept of the "elusive" is given a special place, since it demonstrates the ambiguity and complexity of the art of this period. The concept of the "elusive" is at the heart of the eternal dilemma of the art of the XVII century, the choice between beauty and grace, rational and irrational. However, in modern research, with all the relevance of the theme of style and the style of the era, this aesthetic category is not given sufficient attention. This article shows how a broad discussion of this concept in the salon environment leads to the fact that the principle of "elusive" becomes a requirement and a sign of gallant behavior. Throughout the XVII century, in all discussions and disputes, two points of view on the nature of the "elusive" are affirmed - the rationalistic one, according to which, even if we do not know the laws and nature of the elusive, it does not mean that they do not exist, and the mystical one, which elevated this concept to something supernatural, divine.
The article shows how the arguments about the elusive and the resulting ideas about beauty and grace blur the ideal theory of classicism and demonstrate a complex picture of the ideas and aesthetic tastes of the XVII century.

Abstract: The object of the study is radical changes in gender relations in France in the first half of the XVII century, increasing the social role of women.The process of turning the knightly estate into a courtier against the background of the strengthening of the royal court leads to the fact that men leave the historically habitual and habitual ideal of knightly valor, entering the space of salons and the court. In this space, they are forced to comprehend the art of secular communication that is new to them and the art of liking the participants of this communication. That art, which, according to contemporaries, was perfectly mastered by women. Through language, education, literature, women take part in the birth and establishment of a public space built around new gender norms, a new practice of fiction.
The recognition of a woman in the moralistic literature of the first half of the XVII century as equal to a man in dignity and nobility makes her an equal participant in secular communication. Women's authority eventually begins to determine the direction of criticism, women act as arbiters of good taste in literature and art. At this time, a modern view of the relationship between the sexes is being formed. All these phenomena are characteristic of European culture as a whole and largely determine the modern European mentality.
The analysis of the historical prerequisites for the increase in social activity and the role of women is extremely important and relevant both for understanding many historical realities, including the formation of the European gender tradition, and for studying the influence of these processes on the formation of new aesthetic ideals. Gallant aesthetics develops with the participation and under the influence of women, since gallant culture is a culture permeated with the idea of love.

Abstract: In the XVII century in France, under the influence of gallant aesthetics, a new secular socio-integrative model and a new typology of the holiday were formed, which not only spread throughout Europe, but also reached Russia.
The transformation of holidays into a management tool is influenced by specific socio-political reasons: the transformation of the knightly estate into a courtier under the onslaught of the advancing monarchy, the final collapse of the old feudal system with its traditional ties.
At the same time, new ties and a new social structure of the monarchy of the classical model were being formed. Under the influence of these processes, royal holidays have turned from recreation and entertainment into a powerful lever of political and social influence, which is used by the royal power. The study of the holiday phenomenon has a multidimensional character. However, none of the researchers analyzed the festive culture of modern times from the point of view of a management tool. In this article, the phenomenon of a gallant holiday is considered not only as an important socio-cultural phenomenon, but as an institution of elite management, a new tool of power that helped solve economic, social and psychological problems.
Under the influence of gallant aesthetics in France in the XVII century, a new scenography of the holiday is being formed - a holiday system on several sites united by one plot. This is what modern experts call the method of installation and dismemberment of space. This scenography will henceforth come into use and establish itself in the festive European culture for centuries.

Abstract: The research aims to fill the gap that arose in the study of the history of the category of irony in the gallant era and to show how its formation and understanding took place in the XVII century. Understanding the formation of one of the most important aesthetic categories at the beginning of Modern times helps to understand the development of aesthetic thought and art of this period. In irony, the gallant aesthetic is opposed to the Baroque one. The gaiety and irony of gallantry are the antithesis of baroque bombast and grandiloquence. Without this period of time, it is impossible to understand modern irony, since it goes back not to antiquity, but to the art of Modern times. This is the relevance of this study. In order for this particular aesthetic category to come to the fore in art, a certain confluence of historical conditions and circumstances was necessary. The first half of the XVII century is the time of the formation of a new gallant ethos, the change of the heroic aesthetic ideal to the gallant, the transformation of the knightly estate into a courtier, the emergence of a new socio-cultural space - salons, gender revolution and active penetration into the ruling elites of the third estate. All these factors together and individually influenced the widespread use of the category of irony. This article discusses various aspects of this process.

Abstract: The subject of the study is the French moralistic literature of the XVII - first half of the XVIII century. The author examines the period of the formation of the monarchy of the classical model, the time of the change of the heroic chivalrous ideal by the ideal of a noble, and then a gallant man.
This transition was due to the need for the coexistence of a large number of courtiers in a small space of the courtyard and occurred through the introduction to essentially humanistic concepts such as "civilit", "politesse" and a rationalistic model of thinking. This brought to life a flood of literature about life at court, the upbringing of a nobleman, courtesy, the art of being liked in the light, which swept the book market. A special contribution of the author to the study of the topic is the analysis of numerous sources of the XVII - first half of the XVIII century on etiquette, demeanor and the art of being liked in the light. As a result, the author came to the conclusion that all this literature was of a practical nature. The manner of behavior, etiquette were not considered as a set of frozen rules. All these rules were aimed at educating and forming a society of noble people, which is based on respect for all participants in communication.
The relevance of this topic is that the analysis of French moralistic literature may be interesting for socio-cultural research. Since the new court ethos was embedded in the monarchical model and cemented by the ideology of the "noble" and then the "gallant" person.
In addition, the value system, etiquette and behavioral model that emerged in this era, reflected in the moralistic literature, formed the basis of communication, aesthetic assessments and value attitudes of the ruling elites not only of the XVII, but of the entire XVIII century. The principle of "the art of liking" developed in secular society extends not only to the sphere of communication, but also passes into the sphere of literature and art in general.

Abstract: The study of language as a carrier of a new aesthetic ideal in the first half of the XVII century in France and language reforms as a consequence of the emergence of a new ethos are at the intersection of sociolinguistics, history and cultural studies.
For almost three centuries, French has been not only the language of international communication, like Latin. He carried a new aesthetic, introduced new literature, gave an opportunity to join a new manner of behavior and lifestyle in general. French became not so much the language of educated people, like Latin, as the language of secular educated people, it expressed the ideals of gallantry, good manners and upbringing, which foreigners came to Paris to study. To explain the phenomenon of the spread of the French language and the influence of French culture not only on Russia, but also on other European countries, it is necessary to return to the language reforms of the XVII century, when the language becomes a reflection of a new aesthetic. This study aims to show why the discussion around language flows into a discussion about style, and it, in turn, about the superiority of the new aesthetics.
The reforms of the French language, on the one hand, were the result of the establishment of new aesthetic principles in the consciousness, on the other hand, they influenced the aesthetic principles of their time. Simplicity, naturalness and purity of style, clarity of expressions that convey exactly the thoughts come to French literature and later transferred to art as a whole.
The successes of linguistic and literary reforms for contemporaries are associated with the political successes of France, because "the greatness of the empire and the elegance of the language always go hand in hand."

Abstract: In this paper, the aim is to investigate the reasons for the demand for diversity and novelty in a gallant society, how from the sphere of secular and gender relations these requirements come to literature and art, becoming one of the main aesthetic principles of gallant aesthetics. It seems important to consider the phenomenon of the art of the XVII century, when diversity and novelty become a sign not of avant-garde art, not the lot of a narrow group of artists breaking with the old tradition and breaking through the layer of inertia and rejection of their innovation, but a well-formulated and conscious fundamental requirement of Modern art.
Several aspects of the problem can be distinguished - philosophical, philosophical, social, gender and artistic. Moralists, writers, philosophers, art historians of the XVII century are united in the opinion that diversity and novelty are the fundamental principles of the new aesthetics.
The gallant aesthetics of the XVII century, relying on Cartesianism and rationalism, does not give up before the infinite diversity of the world, which is in constant motion.
The art of Modern times considers the principle of diversity and novelty as a reflection of the richness and diversity of the surrounding world, the impermanent nature of man himself and, consequently, as the main condition for what to like. Diversity is perceived as a pleasure for the eyes and mind. It is contrasted with monotony and tedious static.

Abstract: Issues of style in art are fundamental issues of modern aesthetics, since style is put forward in a number of main categories of art, acting as a principle of the organization of aesthetic form. It is no coincidence that over the past century, the attention of numerous researchers has been drawn to the XVII century - the beginning of the history of aesthetics of modern times, in which, perhaps, the root of modern problems lies. In this respect, the XVII century seems to be the most grateful material for a discussion about style, since in the XVII century great styles arise that will develop and transform in the following centuries and will determine the development of art for many decades - classicism and Baroque. Since the 30s of the XX century, in studies devoted to the study of literature and art of the XVII century, a departure from the theory of classicism of the XIX century is planned. The first stage of this turn is the study of the creativity of the "pillars of classicism", which demonstrated that it has nothing to do with hierarchized academicism and reverence for norms. The desire to please the public, which was initially perceived as the main paradox in the theory of classicism, is further formulated by researchers as the presence of a different aesthetic.
The next stage - the term "classicism" itself is criticized as late, evaluative, giving this era the meaning of the absolute. As a result, many researchers come to the conclusion that in France of the XVII century there was no literary and aesthetic doctrine as a single and "classical" one.
Finally, the third stage of the study - the appeal to a single anthropo-socio-cultural concept of history, the use of sociological methods to highlight the gallant ethos allows us to conclude that classicism is a phenomenon in the field of art, gallantry is not only an artistic phenomenon, but also a social one.

Abstract: In philosophy, “natural” is viewed as an ontological characteristic of the objects of internal and external reality along with the concept of “artificial”. However, in the XVII century, the philosophical and moralistic literature undergoes aestheticization. Numerous appeals of the writers, moralists and philosopher, as well as dialogues and arguments on the topic of “natural” indicate that this was of crucial importance for the aesthetic thought of the XVII century. The answer to the question ‘what natural is’ has become the cornerstone of the new gallant aesthetics, and in behavior was associated with fluency and aristocratic inattention, which are opposed to pomposity and affectation. In art, “natural” was perceived as a desire to purge from the Baroque ostentation. In literature, it is the result of hard work on the language that allows achieving lightness and fluency. Ultimately, in the philosophical thought, “natural” is perceived as the correspondence with truth. Until the present, the question of aestheticization of the “natural” did not draw the attention of Russian researchers. This is partly explained by the historical tradition. Russia enters the European philosophical thought only in the Era of Enlightenment in the XVIII century; thus, the XVII century seems somewhat archaic on the background of the topical issues. However, the XVII century is the advent of the history of modern philosophical and aesthetic thought, and creates the foundation of modern European mentality. This period marks the formation of the new aesthetic ideal, new aesthetic norms, and the system for assessing the work of art, which assign an important role to the “natural”.

Abstract: This article analyzes the emergence of the aesthetic category of taste, which dates back to 1620s–1630s, as well as the factors of its emergence. The author correlates the aesthetic category of “taste” with one of the categories of gallant aesthetics “fineness”, which becomes the key requirement for the behavioral pattern of a secular person, as well as for the lifestyle of French aristocracy of the XVII century overall, emphasizing the social conditionality of the concept of taste. From the sphere of secular communication and everyday life, the categories of “fineness” and “fined taste” flow into the sphere of art, which unfolds the discussion on the subjectivity of taste and the tyranny of rules. The problem of taste remains relevant, as we see the blending of edges of this concept, denial of the hierarchy of aesthetic values in modern art. The question of the development of criteria for assessing the artworks is still as urgent as in the XVII century. At the same time, it is impossible to speak of the development and transformation of the aesthetic category of “taste” if the origins of its emergence are unfathomable. The dispute around the crucial for aesthetics dichotomy “taste” and “rules” has blazed up in France in the late XVII century. In this discussion, “fine taste” is opposed not to the concepts of “no taste” or “bad taste”, they are analogous to taste since being subjective. The concept of “taste” was opposed to the rule, which instigated the dispute of the aesthetic thought of the XVII century.

Abstract: The scale of persona of Rene Descartes, who was the founder of several trends of philosophical thought, often overshadows the intellectual life of the era and the environment that gave rise to Cartesianism. At the same time, we observe a unique situation, when the philosophical doctrine being seized by the secular educated society, rather than the intellectual elite. The key condition for such impact of the philosophical system consists in the fact that the philosophy should meet the demands the era and the environment it is proliferated within. Therefore, the author places Rene Descartes and some aspects of his philosophy in a specific historical context, pursuing correlation with the thoughts and ideas of his contemporaries. This method indicates how the philosophy of Descartes completes and structures the mental transformation that have already taken place or were taking place in French society. Descartes’ perception of his mission, his appeal to future generations, should not deceive or allow to forget that Descartes is not just philosopher with whom the finest minds of the next centuries are engaged into a dialogue or debate , but also a nobleman of the XVII, who responded to the demands of his time. It were not the complicated philosophical tasks that he tried to solve, but the particular answers that influenced and formed the European mentality of the Modern Age without the fact that the perception of his philosophy by the contemporaries would of fully correspond to its essence, and the impact correspond to the letter. Affected by the philosophy of Descartes, the society develops new behavioral norms that underlie the subconscious of modern culture; and from this space of the unsconsious affect the life of modern society.

Abstract: The subject of this research is the concept of nobleness “l’honnêteté” as the category of ethical and spiritual life in the French society of the XVII century. The ideas of “l’honnêteta” promted the formation of the new cultural and intellectual elite, anew ethos that was relatively supranational and standing above classes, adapted to court and secular life. The focus of the discussion that unfolded in the early XVII century is the question of whether it is possible to become a noble person by cultivating certain personality traits close to the ideal, or nobleness is an inherent quality and determined by social position in the existing hierarchy. The answer to this crucial question of the era had to destroy the stereotypes of medieval mentality. The philosophy of “l’honnêtetit” legitimized the infiltration of the third estate into the ruling class – nobles of the robe and petty nobility. The discussion around nobleness and the new ideal of a noble person performed the function of adaptation of the elites to the changing social conditions – the strengthening absolutism. The debate on the definition of a noble person continued unabated throughout the XVII century. However, by the second half of the XVII century, it was no longer relevant and completely replaced by the gallant ideal. The Russian historical literature did not give due attention to studying the “theory of nobleness”, which defines the relevance of this research. The focus of attentions shifts onto the new ideal that determines behavioral and communication pattern, system of education, and generated French society in the early XVII century; the ideals, which along with the French language and gallant culture, spreads across Europe and comes to Russia.