"It is rare to have a scholar with such depth of knowledge in the ancient and vernacular languages of Europe, rarer to have such breadth of knowledge of Western intellectual history, and rarest to have both join forces to produce a work of this staggering erudition. With calm authority and elegant equipoise, Jiani Fan presents to us the grateful readers a masterclass on the genesis of modern intellectual thought. The "mask" that she exposes is that the disenchanted guise of modernity obscures its deep indebtedness to the ancient philosophies of Christianity, Stoicism, and Epicureanism." -- Andrew Yeung Bun Hui, Associate Professor of English, Linguistics and Theatre Studies at the National University of Singapore, Singapore " The Mask of Philosophy presents a bracingly fresh and wide-ranging reevaluation of the reception of ancient philosophy in France from the late Renaissance through the Enlightenment. Delving into a period in which modern authors often seem to either blindly idealize or mercilessly deprecate Greek and Roman philosophers, Jiani Fan moves beyond the surface of such polemics to brilliantly reveal the complex dialectical thought that reshaped attitudes toward antiquity in the modern world. Wearing its formidable erudition lightly, this is a book that will delight and reward all those interested in classical reception, the history of ideas, and early-modern culture and thought." -- Larry Norman, Frank L. Sulzberger Distinguished Service Professor, Department of Romance Languages and Literatures, University of Chicago, author of The Shock of the Ancient: Literature and History in Early Modern France "In an exhilarating journey through the mists of time, Jian Fan unravels the complex tapestry of philosophical lineages.

Modernity took shape during the 16th, 17th and 18th centuries as early modern French writers engaged in a delicate, yet sometimes contentious, conversation with renowned ancient philosophers. They adopted, experimented with and reimagined literary genres and classical philosophical concepts, while simultaneously paying homage to and distinguishing themselves from their predecessors. This book charts the subtle evolution of philosophical thought, from Montaigne to Diderot, through Pascal, Descartes, La Rochefoucauld, La Fontaine, and Fontenelle. These multifaceted encounters allow Jian Fan to recount the captivating tale of philosophical continuity and divergence. A true tour de force!" -- Philippe Desan, Howard L. Willett Professor Emeritus, The University of Chicago, USA "In this charming and erudite book, Jianni Fan takes us on a tour of French intellectual culture, from the Age Classique to the Enlightenment, from Montaigne to Diderot, by way of Pascal and La Rochefoucauld, La Fontaine and Fontenelle, and many others. Fan emphasizes the continuing presence of the ancients as modernity emerges from their obsession with the past." -- Daniel Garber, Professor of Philosophy, Princeton University, USA.