La République des Lettres

La République des Lettres was an intellectual community in Europe from the 17th to 19th centuries, where writers, scholars, and thinkers shared ideas across borders through correspondence, salons, and publications. It was an informal, transnational network promoting free exchange of knowledge, fostering Enlightenment values like reason, human rights, and scientific progress. Members valued intellectual collaboration over national borders, creating a shared cultural space that influenced ideas about democracy, liberty, and progress. This "republic" helped shape modern intellectual life by encouraging open debate and the dissemination of new ideas across Europe.