Accidental Poverty and Distributive Justice in Eighteenth-Century France

The presentation explores the role of accidents and chance in shaping Enlightenment-era ideas of justice, poverty, and moral worth. Drawing on the writings of reformers such as Chamousset, Nicolas Baudeau, and Turgot, she examines how the concept of “accidental poverty” transformed traditional views of the “deserving poor” by framing poverty as a social condition that could potentially affect all citizens, thereby calling for a more universal sense of compassion.

Sponsored by the Department of French and Italian and the Kathryn B. Gore Chair in French Studies.