Club De L'entresol 〈360p 2024〉

The club emerged during the , a period following the death of Louis XIV. The strict absolutism of the Sun King had loosened, leading to a thirst for intellectual freedom. The catastrophic collapse of John Law’s financial system (the Mississippi Bubble) in 1720 also created an urgent need for political and economic debate.

Montesquieu, while not a member, attended meetings; The Spirit of the Laws (1748) reflects debates on the separation of powers. The club also prefigured the Physiocrats (Quesnay) by discussing agriculture as the source of wealth before the official physiocratic school. club de l'entresol

It is often cited by historians, including those on Wikipedia , as one of the first independent organizations dedicated to public policy and current affairs. The club emerged during the , a period

The was an early 18th-century French political society and precursor to modern intellectual salons. Active between 1720 and 1731, it served as a unique laboratory for liberal political thought, economic theory, and parliamentary opposition during the post-Louis XIV era. Unlike the secret councils of the monarchy, the Club de l'Entresol operated with a degree of openness that was unprecedented for its time, earning it the nickname "The States-General of the Rue de Vendôme." Its suppression in 1731 by Cardinal Fleury marked the end of a brief, optimistic experiment in free speech and political association in pre-revolutionary France. Montesquieu, while not a member, attended meetings; The

In 1731, Fleury abruptly closed the club. Official reason: it had strayed into criticism of foreign policy (specifically France’s alliance with Spain). However, the cardinal likely feared that even this elite, loyalist debating society could become a focal point for opposition parlementaire or aristocratic frondeur ideas. After the closure, members scattered; some (like Argenson) pursued reform from within the administration, others joined salons (Mme de Tencin’s).

The Regency of Philippe d’Orléans (1715–1723) had loosened the rigid censorship of Louis XIV’s reign, allowing salons and private clubs ( sociétés de pensée ) to flourish. By the time Louis XV came of age, Cardinal Fleury sought a middle path: controlled intellectual debate that could inform policy without threatening the crown. The Entresol represented this experiment. Modeled partly on the English coffeehouse and the Royal Society , it provided a rare space for high-ranking officials and intellectuals to debate mémoires on political economy and governance.