F. Mauriac’s and P. Claudel’s Notion of Humanism in the Context of French Catholic Revival Literature

The article tells about F. Mauriac’s and P. Claudel’s notion of humanism in the frames of French Catholic Revival literature, which has its definite mutual features, in particular, the estimate of a human being’s role and place in the society and in the world. The work notices the confrontation of approaches in the XXth century humanism – the atheistic and Christian ones. Works of F. Mauriac (Nobel Prize winner) are in their deepest nature the expression of Christian humanism, which in the XXth century are marked with J. Maritain’s thoughts about the integrity of individual’s natural and supernatural existence. The Nobel Prize winner also links up the true humanism and Christianity. At the same time he analyzes the approach of modern agnostic humanists. They consider that Christianity has an awful defect in its wish to limit the diverse human nature under the pretext to raise an individual to the level of imitation of Christ. An agnostic humanist regards, that Christians sacrifice the part of their nature which is the most truly human. He thinks that the unified model of the unique Christ, according to which, as he reckons, Christians want to shape every human being, is pressed from outside. But Mauriac notices that in fact the matter is rather in unity with Christ than in imitation or copying Him. Christ harmonizes the human passions, feelings, instincts, thoughts, and from this variety He remodels the soul, as He is the greatest creator of the human individuals.Paul Claudel expresses his humanism in his dramas stating the human dignity and aptitude for mature love and freedom. The writer’s ideal is a strict, careful and at the same time “righteous” (l’homme juste) individual. In the context of his humanistic view P. Claudel stresses that there is not such an unimportant being that is not necessary for society. In his considerations about the advantage, which Religion gives to poetry and drama, the writer links up the humanism and Christianity like F. Mauriac, whose works in their essence is the expression of Christian humanism, does it.