Discussion about this post

User's avatar
Hywel Morgan's avatar

With apologies, Mr McG; other than here and Brownstone, where is there a list of your admirable writings? For example I liked your exposition of the Trilling cadence, from compassion to compulsion. But I wonder, despite the many real-world instances, whether such a pattern is inevitable. My suspicion is it may not be, but is a problem arising from a flaw in the distribution of power and wealth. The modern era has overseen the centralization of political power, and great concentrations of wealth - while buying off the folks through redistributions of income. As I see it, this is a problem of institutions. Objectively, the folks are well off. But also objectively, not as Free To Choose as they might be. And also, perhaps soon , bjectively not able to object.

Expand full comment
Pere Fouan's avatar

May I highly recommend Hippolyte Taine, the French historian, who, in his Vol 5 of "Histoire de la France Contemporaine", Book 1, wrote the most insightful analysis of the Jacobin philosophy I've ever read. He wrote for a French public imbued with "political principles" (no suprise to anyone on this side of the Channel) by which they judged the past. In other words, they were just as dogmatic as French structuralists, the woke, etc. In his preface, Taine remarked he had only one political principle, so simple as to seem puerile, yet it formed the basis for his analysis: "A human society, especially a modern one, is a vast and complicated thing. Therefore, it is difficult to know and understand (connaitre et comprendre). And that is why it is difficult to handle it ("manier") well." I'd like to add just one quote about Jacobin philosophy (a derivative of Rousseau's Social Contract) "The Jacobin does not see "real" people. He has no need. With eyes closed, he forces the human spirit into his mould. He never considers this multiple, undulating and complex 'matter' - peasants, craftsmen, bourgeois....with their inveterate beliefs, their inclinations, and their wishes." In reading this section, the parallels between then now are uncanny, or perhaps they are inevitable.

Expand full comment
7 more comments...

No posts