Joseph de Maistre and the Birth of Reactionary Thought
By
Katherine Alejandra Cross
Kettled twice. Extra chewy, extra trustworthy.
Summary
This article examines the writings and philosophy of 18th-century monarchist Joseph de Maistre, focusing on his reactionary worldview, his complex relationship with the Jacobins and the French Revolution, and his belief in original sin as the foundation for understanding human society. The piece explores how de Maistre's violent, irrational, and anti-modern thought represents the ur-shape of reactionary politics, finding a paradoxical honesty in the guillotine despite despising revolutionary ideology.
Key quotes
· 3 pulledoriginal sin…explains everything
The horror of the gallows destroyed the least internal resistance
this Leviathan, drunk with blood and success, the most appalling phenomenon ever seen
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