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Chartier, Roger. (1991) The
Cultural Origins of French
Revolution, Durham and
London,
The text reflects on the cultural origins of the French Revolution, primarily
focusing on Daniel Mornet's work, "Les Origines intellectuelles de la
Révolution française 1715–1787." Mornet's perspective suggests a
connection between the progress of new ideas in the eighteenth century,
particularly associated with the Enlightenment, and the emergence of the
Revolution.
Mornet outlines three laws governing the penetration of new ideas: descending
from highly cultivated classes to the broader population, spreading from the
center (Paris) to the provinces, and accelerating throughout the century. He
argues that Enlightenment thought was a necessary precondition for the
Revolution, claiming that "it was, in part, ideas that determined the French
Revolution."
Chartier, Roger. (1991) The Cultural Origins of French Revolution, Durham and London, 1
, However, doubts arise about the legitimacy of attributing scattered facts or
ideas as "causes" or "origins" of an event.
The author proposes substituting the category of intellectual origins with
cultural origins, considering cultural institutions as dynamic entities beyond
mere conveyors of ideas. This cultural sociology approach broadens the
perspective to include various practices, not just intellectual ones, and
considers long-term transformations in sociability, communication, and
education.
The text acknowledges the difficulty of avoiding teleological interpretation and
warns against the retrospective illusion of historical consciousness. It argues
that, despite the dangers, working within the framework established by Mornet
is necessary for addressing the historical problem. The question of the
relationship between Enlightenment ideas and the French Revolution serves
as a set of problems to be accepted, doubted, and critically examined in the
study of the cultural origins of the Revolution.
The text discusses Daniel Mornet's relationship with historians, particularly
focusing on his critique of Hippolyte Taine's works, "L'Ancien Régime" and
"L'Ancien Régime et la Revolution." Taine's approach traced the "revolutionary
spirit" back to French classicism, emphasizing a long-term process leading to
the Revolution.
Mornet criticized Taine for concluding too hastily about the widespread
existence of the "revolutionary spirit" and for relying on famous but
misconstrued texts. Mornet argued for a more comprehensive approach,
measuring the penetration of ideas through a vast collection of evidence from
various sources.
Mornet's second criticism was Taine's notion that the revolutionary spirit
already existed in Old Regime society, leading to a planned revolution.
Mornet rejected this idea, emphasizing the distinction between the origins of
the Revolution and its actual history as an event with its own dynamics.
Taine's originality lies in tracing the "revolutionary spirit" back to French
classicism, specifically mentioning Boileau, Descartes, and others as ancestors
of Saint-Just and Robespierre. Taine's work challenges the topos created by
the Revolution, offering a longer historical perspective and highlighting the
rejection of reality as a distinctive trait of French literature in the seventeenth
and eighteenth centuries.
Chartier, Roger. (1991) The Cultural Origins of French Revolution, Durham and London, 2
, The text concludes by acknowledging Taine's contribution to the
conceptualization of the cultural process that led to the Revolution,
emphasizing the importance of filiations that were not consciously claimed
by historical protagonists. Taine's characterization of classicism's rejection
of reality laid the groundwork for later analyses defining the "dereification"
as a key aspect of French literature during that period.
Tocqueville's Perspective on the Revolution:
Tocqueville views the French Revolution as both a culmination of a long
evolution of administrative centralization and an unexpected, violent
rupture. He emphasizes that the Revolution was not a result of chance but
rather the inevitable outcome of a lengthy gestation period.
Tocqueville's Chronological Approach:
Tocqueville analyzes the Revolution in a short-term chronology, focusing on
the thirty or forty years preceding the event. He attempts to identify cultural
shifts during this period that led to rapid transformations in ideas and feelings.
Role of Intellectuals According to Tocqueville:
In Tocqueville's view, the intellectuals played a crucial role in the Revolution. He
explores this in his work, particularly in Chapter 1 of Book 3,
where he discusses how men of letters took the lead in politics during the
mid-eighteenth century.
Dichotomy Between Administrative Power and Literary Politics:
Tocqueville highlights a fundamental opposition between the effective
exercise of government by monarchical administration agents and the
"abstract, literary politics" developed by intellectuals. In post-1750 France,
politics and administration were separated, and public discussion occurred
outside governmental institutions.
Transformation of Political Landscape:
Centralization by the monarchy led to a situation where politics without
power and power without authority coexisted. Political life, devoid of
administrative decision-making, was channeled into literature. This shift
Chartier, Roger. (1991) The Cultural Origins of French Revolution, Durham and London, 3
, created a power vacuum that men of letters filled, becoming a substitute
aristocracy without real power.
The Impact of Centralization:
The destruction of traditional institutions by the monarchy, coupled with the
removal of nobility and bourgeoisie from power, created conditions conducive
to philosophical hegemony.
Tocqueville suggests that the process of centralization itself contributed to
the rise of "literary politics" and a focus on abstract theories.
Homogenization of Society:
The narrowing of gaps between provinces and classes occurred due to the
shared culture propagated by men of letters. Tocqueville notes that despite
differences in behavior, the aristocracy and bourgeoisie became
increasingly alike in their ideas, habits, tastes, and amusements.
Cultural Effects of Transformations in Power:
Tocqueville emphasizes the cultural effects resulting from changes in the forms
of power. He suggests that the
despotic centralized administration, by monopolizing the exercise of
government, gave rise to both intellectual politics and public opinion.
Understanding Historical Awareness and Revolution:
Tocqueville helps formulate the connection between historical awareness and
the significance of actions. The revolutionary act's illusion of rupture is rooted
in the imaginary and abstract politics constructed by writers in the eighteenth
century outside established institutions.
Eschatological Impulse of the Revolution:
Tocqueville addresses the eschatological impulse and certitude of inauguration
that characterized the Revolution. He acknowledges the resolute attempt by the
French in 1789 to break with the past and create an unbridgeable gulf between
their former selves and their aspirations.
Political Culture of the Old Regime:
The political culture of the Old Regime in France underwent transformation
through intellectual ferment, marked by events such as the
Jansenist crisis and parlementary resistance. Discourse and political debate
during this period not only exposed the workings of the state but also
questioned the very nature of the monarchy and its foundational principles.
Chartier, Roger. (1991) The Cultural Origins of French Revolution, Durham and London, 4
Chartier, Roger. (1991) The
Cultural Origins of French
Revolution, Durham and
London,
The text reflects on the cultural origins of the French Revolution, primarily
focusing on Daniel Mornet's work, "Les Origines intellectuelles de la
Révolution française 1715–1787." Mornet's perspective suggests a
connection between the progress of new ideas in the eighteenth century,
particularly associated with the Enlightenment, and the emergence of the
Revolution.
Mornet outlines three laws governing the penetration of new ideas: descending
from highly cultivated classes to the broader population, spreading from the
center (Paris) to the provinces, and accelerating throughout the century. He
argues that Enlightenment thought was a necessary precondition for the
Revolution, claiming that "it was, in part, ideas that determined the French
Revolution."
Chartier, Roger. (1991) The Cultural Origins of French Revolution, Durham and London, 1
, However, doubts arise about the legitimacy of attributing scattered facts or
ideas as "causes" or "origins" of an event.
The author proposes substituting the category of intellectual origins with
cultural origins, considering cultural institutions as dynamic entities beyond
mere conveyors of ideas. This cultural sociology approach broadens the
perspective to include various practices, not just intellectual ones, and
considers long-term transformations in sociability, communication, and
education.
The text acknowledges the difficulty of avoiding teleological interpretation and
warns against the retrospective illusion of historical consciousness. It argues
that, despite the dangers, working within the framework established by Mornet
is necessary for addressing the historical problem. The question of the
relationship between Enlightenment ideas and the French Revolution serves
as a set of problems to be accepted, doubted, and critically examined in the
study of the cultural origins of the Revolution.
The text discusses Daniel Mornet's relationship with historians, particularly
focusing on his critique of Hippolyte Taine's works, "L'Ancien Régime" and
"L'Ancien Régime et la Revolution." Taine's approach traced the "revolutionary
spirit" back to French classicism, emphasizing a long-term process leading to
the Revolution.
Mornet criticized Taine for concluding too hastily about the widespread
existence of the "revolutionary spirit" and for relying on famous but
misconstrued texts. Mornet argued for a more comprehensive approach,
measuring the penetration of ideas through a vast collection of evidence from
various sources.
Mornet's second criticism was Taine's notion that the revolutionary spirit
already existed in Old Regime society, leading to a planned revolution.
Mornet rejected this idea, emphasizing the distinction between the origins of
the Revolution and its actual history as an event with its own dynamics.
Taine's originality lies in tracing the "revolutionary spirit" back to French
classicism, specifically mentioning Boileau, Descartes, and others as ancestors
of Saint-Just and Robespierre. Taine's work challenges the topos created by
the Revolution, offering a longer historical perspective and highlighting the
rejection of reality as a distinctive trait of French literature in the seventeenth
and eighteenth centuries.
Chartier, Roger. (1991) The Cultural Origins of French Revolution, Durham and London, 2
, The text concludes by acknowledging Taine's contribution to the
conceptualization of the cultural process that led to the Revolution,
emphasizing the importance of filiations that were not consciously claimed
by historical protagonists. Taine's characterization of classicism's rejection
of reality laid the groundwork for later analyses defining the "dereification"
as a key aspect of French literature during that period.
Tocqueville's Perspective on the Revolution:
Tocqueville views the French Revolution as both a culmination of a long
evolution of administrative centralization and an unexpected, violent
rupture. He emphasizes that the Revolution was not a result of chance but
rather the inevitable outcome of a lengthy gestation period.
Tocqueville's Chronological Approach:
Tocqueville analyzes the Revolution in a short-term chronology, focusing on
the thirty or forty years preceding the event. He attempts to identify cultural
shifts during this period that led to rapid transformations in ideas and feelings.
Role of Intellectuals According to Tocqueville:
In Tocqueville's view, the intellectuals played a crucial role in the Revolution. He
explores this in his work, particularly in Chapter 1 of Book 3,
where he discusses how men of letters took the lead in politics during the
mid-eighteenth century.
Dichotomy Between Administrative Power and Literary Politics:
Tocqueville highlights a fundamental opposition between the effective
exercise of government by monarchical administration agents and the
"abstract, literary politics" developed by intellectuals. In post-1750 France,
politics and administration were separated, and public discussion occurred
outside governmental institutions.
Transformation of Political Landscape:
Centralization by the monarchy led to a situation where politics without
power and power without authority coexisted. Political life, devoid of
administrative decision-making, was channeled into literature. This shift
Chartier, Roger. (1991) The Cultural Origins of French Revolution, Durham and London, 3
, created a power vacuum that men of letters filled, becoming a substitute
aristocracy without real power.
The Impact of Centralization:
The destruction of traditional institutions by the monarchy, coupled with the
removal of nobility and bourgeoisie from power, created conditions conducive
to philosophical hegemony.
Tocqueville suggests that the process of centralization itself contributed to
the rise of "literary politics" and a focus on abstract theories.
Homogenization of Society:
The narrowing of gaps between provinces and classes occurred due to the
shared culture propagated by men of letters. Tocqueville notes that despite
differences in behavior, the aristocracy and bourgeoisie became
increasingly alike in their ideas, habits, tastes, and amusements.
Cultural Effects of Transformations in Power:
Tocqueville emphasizes the cultural effects resulting from changes in the forms
of power. He suggests that the
despotic centralized administration, by monopolizing the exercise of
government, gave rise to both intellectual politics and public opinion.
Understanding Historical Awareness and Revolution:
Tocqueville helps formulate the connection between historical awareness and
the significance of actions. The revolutionary act's illusion of rupture is rooted
in the imaginary and abstract politics constructed by writers in the eighteenth
century outside established institutions.
Eschatological Impulse of the Revolution:
Tocqueville addresses the eschatological impulse and certitude of inauguration
that characterized the Revolution. He acknowledges the resolute attempt by the
French in 1789 to break with the past and create an unbridgeable gulf between
their former selves and their aspirations.
Political Culture of the Old Regime:
The political culture of the Old Regime in France underwent transformation
through intellectual ferment, marked by events such as the
Jansenist crisis and parlementary resistance. Discourse and political debate
during this period not only exposed the workings of the state but also
questioned the very nature of the monarchy and its foundational principles.
Chartier, Roger. (1991) The Cultural Origins of French Revolution, Durham and London, 4
