The scene and the concept: theatre and morality in the Enlightenment (paying homage to Vinicius de Figueiredo)

Authors

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.5380/sk.v23i3.101894

Keywords:

philosophy, theatre, dramatic, poetry, morality, French Enlightenment, philosophes

Abstract

This essay investigates the relation between theater, painting, and philosophical reflection in the 18th-century France, analyzing theatre as a moral instrument. Based on the Enlightenment ideology that associated dramatic art with education and entertainment, the text explores how playwright-philosophers such as Voltaire and Diderot conceived the stage as a school of manners, capable of perfecting the reasoning and sensitivity of the spectator. The analysis also highlights the tension of this project, from Rousseau’s criticism to the limitations imposed by the public taste and rules of decorum. The text proposes how the theatremania of the period transformed the stage into a privileged space for ethical debate and the staging of human passions. This reflection is a tribute to the legacy of Professor Vinicius de Figueiredo.

Author Biographies

Kamila Babiuki, UEPG

PhD in Philosophy from the Federal University of Paraná and Professor at the State University of Ponta Grossa. She is the author of articles, translations, and book chapters on eighteenth-century philosophy, as well as the book O gênio no Iluminismo francês: o caso Diderot (Kotter, 2022).

Rafael de Araújo e Viana Leite, UTFPR

PhD in Philosophy from the Federal University of Paraná (UFPR). He completed postdoctoral research at the Federal University of Pará (UFPA) and at Sorbonne Université. He served as a substitute professor at UNIOESTE and UFPR. He is currently an Assistant Professor at the Federal University of Technology – Paraná (UTFPR), Ponta Grossa campus.

References

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Published

2026-01-31

How to Cite

Babiuki, K., & de Araújo e Viana Leite, R. (2026). The scene and the concept: theatre and morality in the Enlightenment (paying homage to Vinicius de Figueiredo). Studia Kantiana, 23(3), 53–67. https://doi.org/10.5380/sk.v23i3.101894

Issue

Vol. 23 No. 3 (2025)

Section

Papers

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Copyright (c) 2026 Kamila Babiuki, Rafael de Araújo e Viana Leite

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