Argenson, René-Louis de Voyer, marquis d' (1694-1757). 1. French political theorist and author of a valuable Journal. The son and brother of ministers, Minister of Foreign Affairs himself in 1744-7, and a friend of Voltaire, he wrote before 1739 his Considérations sur l'ancien et présent gouvernement de la France, known only in manuscript until published in 1764. Monarchist in outlook, it proposed to move monarchy nearer to republicanism by extending the system of États Généraux throughout the kingdom, the people thus having elected representatives at provincial level. D'Argenson was influenced by observing France's poverty when compared with neighbouring republics.
[Christopher Betts]
2. His brother Marc-Pierre (1696-1764) was Directeur de la Librairie, War Minister, and founder of the École Militaire. The Encyclopédie was dedicated to him. The story is told that when Desfontaines defended a pamphlet with the words: ‘Monseigneur, il faut bien que je vive’, he replied: ‘Je n'en vois pas la nécessité.’
[Peter France]
