It was not an accident that France
is synonymous with style and refinement. It was a deliberate and artful combination of government, industry, and people that allowed
France to “provide the framework for our definitions of style” relevent to this day (DeJean 2).
Under the monarchy of the Sun King Louis the XIV and his minister of France
Jean-Baptiste Colbert, France created state policies that “closely associated
with activities designed to encourage and stimulate private industry manufacturing
for the general market” (Usher 238). Louis and Colbert focused on French
exports created exclusively “by French artists and workmen trained
systematically under the most rigorous criticism and discipline” and therefore controlled
the industry and created exceptional standards of workmanship (Usher 238). This month, the France government introduced the term “French Fab” which applies “exclusively to manufacturing, spanning
small businesses to conglomerates” as a response to their growing high-tech
industry and efforts to become the tech startup capital of Europe (Seibt). It
seems that France is ever trying to stay current and that may be one of the
reasons it has managed to maintain its dominance in commerce and unique cultural
identity.
Question: I found it interesting
that France, similar to South Korea, focused on the development of both the arts
and of technology. I wonder if this could be a common theme in achievement of
maximum national aesthesis?
DeJean, Joan. “The Essence of
Style: How French Invented High Fashion, Fine Food, Chic Cafes, Style,
Sophistication, and Glamour.” Free Press, New York, 2005.
Grenier, Jean-Yves. “L'étiquette,
Instrument D'autorité Du Roi Soleil.” Liberation.fr, Liberation, 28 Dec.
2016. Web. 6 Oct. 2017.
“Louis XIV.” History.com,
A&E Television Networks, 2009. Web. 5 Oct. 2017.
Salmon, J. H. (1964, Jul 01). “ The
King and His Minister: Louis XIV and Colbert.” History Today. Web. 5
Oct. 2017.
Seibt, Sebastian. “French Fab:
France's Manufacturing Sector Branded to Boost Exports.” France 24,
France 24, 3 Oct. 2017. 6 Oct. 2017.
Usher, Abbott. “Colbert and
Governmental Control of Industry in Seventeenth Century France.” The Review
of Economics and Statistics. Vol. 16, No. 11. 1934. pp. 237-240.
Welle, Deutsche. “Louis XIV: What
France's Sun King Did for Art" DW.COM, 9 Feb. 2015. 6 Oct. 2017.
D
Yes! Nice observation. Indeed arts (cultural items, music, literature, etc.) refresh the nations' images and soften the din of war. They recognize the potential advantages technology can bring to their businesses, and it also enables them to connect to anyone in the world to promote the nations' images.
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