The 1698 attempt would not have held sway with the Republican radicals of Ferry's generation, who would have seen it as Catholic propaganda and as a defense against the growing popularity of Protestantism. Likewise, Napoleon's Imperial University remained connected to the Church and paid little heed to primary education that would ensure basic literacy needs among the larger population. In Ferry's view, schools would educate on political doctrine and the virtues of nationalism, emphasizing independent thought.Barnard, H.C.. Education and the French Revolution (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1969).
