On cultural diplomacy: Marc Fumaroli, French cultural policy, and the humanities

This paper contributes to the debate on cultural diplomacy by revisiting the work of Marc Fumaroli. While he was recognized as an important commentator on French cultural policy, we claim that his work also offers an essential perspective on cultural diplomacy. Fumaroli's work intersects with several important themes typically explored in cultural diplomacy. The first section of this paper engages with Fumaroli's general perspective on cultural policy. The second section discusses soft power and transnationalism from a historical perspective. The third section revisits his critique of Paris's cultural aspiration since the 1980s, and its global rivalries for cultural prestige. We argue that Marc Fumaroli provides both an evaluation of and elements of inspiration for French cultural diplomacy. His perspective is unique in the way that it brings to light the historical importance of humanities and literature in cultural diplomacy. This paper is an invitation to consider intellectual history as part of the body of contributions necessary to engage more fully with the debates on cultural diplomacy.