Charles Bordes

Born in Lyon in 1711 and dying there in 1781, Charles Borde — often spelled Bordes — was a French writer associated with the literary and intellectual life of his city. He studied with the Jesuits, later spent time in Paris, and became a member of the Académie des sciences, belles-lettres et arts de Lyon.

He wrote in several modes, including poetry, essays, letters, and more playful or satirical works. One of his best-known titles is Parapilla, and he is also remembered for entering the big arguments of his age with a reply to Rousseau's discourse on the arts and sciences.

What makes him interesting now is that mix of wit and seriousness: he belonged to the world of the Enlightenment, but not as a distant monument. His writing suggests a sociable, curious author engaged with ideas, style, and the pleasures of conversation as much as with formal philosophy.