Contradictions between French nationalism of second half of the nineteenth century and the methodical theory: the debate of Fustel de Coulanges and Theodor Mommsen on Alsace-Lorraine

• Grant number: 19/26912-2
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Scientific Initiation
• Start date: August 01, 2020
• End date: September 30, 2021
• Field of knowledge: Humanities - History - Ancient and Medieval History
• Principal Investigator: Glaydson José da Silva
• Grantee: Lucas Arantes Lorga
• Host Institution: Escola de Filosofia, Letras e Ciências Humanas (EFLCH). Universidade Federal de São Paulo (UNIFESP). Campus Guarulhos. Guarulhos , SP, Brazil

Abstract

The two key themes of this project, even though they have been researched several times in academic literature, still demand more profound study. From the point of view of nationalism, the work performed by the social sciences gave birth to many theories, but based less than expected on documents. The historian, in this case, is necessary to analyze cases yet not deeply scrutinized and, then, to confirm or reject such theories. As for the French Methodical School, it is possible to affirm that few focused on this theme by the quantity - and quality - of the criticisms made during the twentieth century, which relegated this field of study to ostracism. Herein project is aimed to address these two issues from the debate between Fustel de Coulanges, one of the great names of the Methodical School, and Theodor Mommsen about the true nationality of Alsace-Lorraine: French or German. The proposed focus will be on the analysis of how the argumentative logic used by Fustel to defend the French origin of the territory, dating back to the consolidated nationalism after theFrench Revolution, actualy contradicts his own historical method. (AU)