Le Pour et Contre

Le Pour et Contre was an eighteenth-century French literary and cultural journal founded in 1733 by Antoine François Prévost, better known as Abbé Prévost. The title, which translates roughly as "For and Against," was inspired by English periodicals Prévost encountered during a stay in London. He conceived the journal as a successor to Le Nouvelliste du Parnasse by Abbé Desfontaines, which had ceased publication the previous year. Its editorial stance was to present both sides of each question without taking a partisan position. Prévost edited Le Pour et Contre almost continuously until 1740, when the publication ceased with its twentieth volume. The journal covered literature, culture, and contemporary intellectual debate, and it became an important vehicle for transmitting English literary and cultural developments to French readers. Its content ranged across criticism, reviews, and reflections on the arts and sciences of the day. Although the original run ended in 1740, Le Pour et Contre has retained scholarly interest. A reprint edition was published in Geneva by Slatkine Reprints in 1967, covering volumes 1–17 by Prévost and volume 8 by Desfontaines and Charles-Hugues Le Febvre de Saint-Marc. Modern bibliographies and critical studies, including works by Jean Sgard, Marie Rose de Labriolle, and Shelley Charles, have examined the journal's literary and historical significance. Digital access is available through HathiTrust and Gallica, the digital library of the Bibliothèque nationale de France.

Le Pour et Contre was founded in 1733 by Antoine François Prévost, commonly known as Abbé Prévost, a French author and journalist. The idea for the journal came to him during a stay in London, where he observed English gazettes. He intended it to replace Le Nouvelliste du Parnasse by Abbé Desfontaines, which had ceased publication the previous year. The title reflected Prévost's ambition to examine the "for and against" of each question without taking sides. Prévost edited the journal almost without interruption until 1740, when it ceased publication with its twentieth volume. Over its run, Le Pour et Contre served as a significant conduit for English literature and culture to French readers, and it engaged with the intellectual currents of the time. Volume 8 was edited by Desfontaines and Charles-Hugues Le Febvre de Saint-Marc. After its original run, the journal became an object of scholarly study. A reprint edition was issued in Geneva by Slatkine Reprints in 1967, covering volumes 1–17 by Prévost and volume 8 by Desfontaines and Saint-Marc. Critical works include Jean Sgard's Le « Pour et Contre » de Prévost (Paris, Nizet, 1969), Marie Rose de Labriolle's Le Pour et contre et son temps (Geneva, Institut et Musée Voltaire, 1965), and Shelley Charles's Récit et réflexions: poétique de l'hétérogène dans « Le Pour et Contre » de l'abbé Prevost (Oxford, Voltaire Foundation, 1992). Digital copies are accessible via HathiTrust and Gallica.

• 1967

  Slatkine Reprints publishes a reprint edition in Geneva.

• 1740

  Publication ceases with volume 20.

• 1733

  Le Pour et Contre founded by Antoine François Prévost.

A non-partisan literary and cultural periodical presenting both sides of contemporary questions.

• Le Pour et Contre journal

  Literary and cultural periodical published from 1733 to 1740.

1. 1Wikidata: Le Pour et Contrewikidata.org
2. 2Wikipédia: Le Pour et Contrefr.wikipedia.org
3. 3HathiTrust Catalog: Le Pour et Contrecatalog.hathitrust.org
4. 4Gallica: Le Pour et Contregallica.bnf.fr