摘要：Kevin Rudd might have learned a thing or two from Louis XIV. The Pursuit of Glory: Europe 1648-1815 is a magisterial new history by Tim Blanning, Professor of Modern European History at the University of Cambridge. In The Pursuit of Glory, Blanning examines how the ‘Sun King' attempted to control and regulate every aspect of his nation's political, intellectual, and cultural life.
Under Louis XIV (1643-1715) public discussion and enquiry, in what Blanning calls the ‘public space', was first co-opted, and then subordinated to the service of the ruler. The public discussion and enquiry that did take place was either funded or licensed by the government. Those that engaged in public debate invariably relied upon the largesse of government for their livelihood
