Book Description
Joseph de Maistre's Considerations on France (1797) is the best known French equivalent of Burke's Reflections on the Revolution in France.The work of the self-exiled Maistre presents a providential interpretation of the French Revolution and argues for a new alliance of throne and altar under a restored Bourbon monarchy.Although Maistre's influence within France was delayed until the Restoration, he is now acknowledged as the most eloquent spokesperson for continental conservatism.This edition features an Introduction by Isaiah Berlin. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (3)

Praises irrational use of violence to defend tradition
The Frenchman Joseph de Maistre published this counter-revolutionary political manifesto, _Considerations on France_, as a protest against the chaos unleashed on Europe following the French Revolution.De Maistre is credited for setting the tone for the conservative, pro-monarchist political right in Catholic and Continental Europe for the subsequent ninetieth century, as a sort of French contemporary of the esteemed British conservative, Edmund Burke.De Maistre glorifies war and violence as rooted in mankind's primordial fall from divine grace.De Maistre even goes so far as to view the executioner and the soldier as human agents of divine wrath against those who transgress the higher realm.Attempts to improve the human condition through revolutionary politics and high-blown rhetoric regarding "democracy" and "equality" are cursed to fail.These revolutionary movements will only collapse because of their disconnection with reality and their inability to comprehend the dark side of human nature.Instead, political change must be brought about through a gradual process.Traditions that go beyond human memory into the obscure mists of history have a quality of the a-rational, or the divine, about them.The sacred altar and the crown may be defended by force if necessary.It is curious that de Maistre, writing in the 1790s and early 1800s, predicted the restoration of the Bourbon family to the French monarchy after the military defeat of Napoleon.

A Critique of Modernity.
Joseph de Maistre is one of the harshest counter-revolutionary critics of the French Revolution.He calls for a return to traditional Catholicism and the Restoration of the monarchy.The book _Considerations on France_ takes a look at his arguments for that tradition and his understanding of the dark side of human existence through his unique Christian perspective.De Maistre was both a Freemason and a Roman Catholic, an arch-conservative traditionalist, and a strong believer in the primacy of papal authority in the secular and spiritual realms.In this book, he criticizes those eighteenth century philosophers and their belief in progress and the "social contract" ideal.He explains why the traditional development of society is more appropriate, given the rootedness of man in sin.This is an important work to understand the thought of De Maistre, a Catholic reactionary.

Another vision of the French Revolution.
This book may be helpful for every person interested in the French Revolution. It shows a "reactionary" vision of the Revolution, and describes all the human right violations done by the revolutionaries.In de Maistre's view, the French Revolution is a divine punishment forFrance. France had not follow its special vocation: to be a stronghold ofthe christian faith, and therefore came the Revolution. Perhaps the mostinteresting thing is that all De Maistre's predictions became true,specially the Restauration of Monarchy. Most books about the FrenchRevolution are pure apologies. If you want to read something verydifferent, read this book. ... Read more

Product Description
This Elibron Classics book is a facsimile reprint of a 1893 edition by Alphonse Picard et Fils, Paris. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Joseph de Maistre:Harbinger of Counter-revolution.
This biography of the French Counter-revolutionary thinker, Joseph de Maistre, provides an excellent introduction to the thought of this Catholic militant.Joseph de Maistre was an arch-reactionary opponent of the French revolution and proponent of a properly restored monarchy and Catholicism and a united Christianity under papal rule.The main bases for his thought lie in his Catholicism, his adherence to Tradition and the monarchy, his anti-Modernism and reaction to the ideals of the French revolution, and in the occultist illuminism of Saint-Martin and the Freemasonic tradition.In his "Considerations sur la France", de Maistre argues against the thought of the "philosophes" and eighteenth century Enlightenment thinkers and for a restored monarchy and Catholicism rooted in tradition.Contrary to the Revolutionary idealism, Maistre argues that man is imperfect and rooted in sin and thus a rational reconstruction of society is doomed to failure.In "Du Pape", de Maistre outlines his belief in papal authority and the supremacy of the Catholic Church.As a Catholic de Maistre believes the Pope to be infallible and in the necessity of his wielding power over earthly sovereigns.Both a Freemason and a Catholic, de Maistre argues for a Catholic subsumption of the Orthodox Churches, the Protestant Churches, and other schismatics and heretics under papal rule.This particular book brought much strong reaction because of the radical nature of its main argument.De Maistre's Catholicism is extreme in its opposition to both the Reformation and Modernity.De Maistre spent much of his time in Russia as an ambassador for Sardinia, and in the "Soirees de Saint-Petersbourg", he presents arguments about various aspects concerning the laws and the need for a return to tradition.De Maistre has unique thoughts about the origins of languages and the American Indians and other aboriginal peoples.Contrary to the popular Rousseauian "noble savage" ideal, de Maistre presents a much more realistic picture of the American Indian and the development of the world's religions from a primordial tradition and encounter with God.His other works include discussions of illuminism, theosophy (especially that of Saint-Martin, to whom he was a follower of), supernaturalism and occultism, and the nature of tradition and government.The author shows de Maistre to be a precursor to Romanticism in his aesthetic writings.Furthermore, the author examines de Maistre's influence on subsequent thinkers including Catholics such as Jacques Maritaine, and others such as Charles Maurras and Baudelaire.This book is an excellent biography of a reactionary opponent to the French Revolution and modernity, a Catholic Traditionalist, and a thinker who calls for a restoration of monarchism and privelege.In particular, this book focuses on the role of de Maistre in literature.While the thought of de Maistre would certainly not be considered popular today, his thought is a uniquely Catholic and traditional one which offers hope against the viscitudes of modernity. ... Read more

Book Description
The More Moderate Side of Joseph de Maistre expertly contextualizes his work within the historical events and intellectual debates that emerged in the aftermath of the French Revolution. Camcastle sheds new light on Maistre's conception of government as being made up of groups in dynamic counterbalance and on the system of inconvertible paper money that he developed a century before a similar system was universally adopted in the twentieth century. Camcastle provides a more complete and balanced picture of Maistre's political writings through original interpretations of his published works and translations from French and Italian into English of previously unpublished writings that substantiate key points. ... Read more

Book Description

Customer Reviews (1)

De Maistre penetrated as never before - brilliant work
Hats off to Dr. Bradley, whose interpretive, integrative, and deductive abilities are obviously surging, at this early point in his career. Never before have I read anything about De Maistre that pierced so painfully, tothe point of seeing his logic as it applies to us all. It made me proud,and ashamed. Compelling. ... Read more

Book Description
This digital document is an article from Canadian Journal of History, published by University of Saskatchewan on April 1, 2003. The length of the article is 952 words. The page length shown above is based on a typical 300-word page. The article is delivered in HTML format and is available in your Amazon.com Digital Locker immediately after purchase. You can view it with any web browser.

Citation Details
Title: Joseph de Maistre's Life, Thought, and Influence: Selected Studies.(Book Review)
Author: David W. Bates
Publication: Canadian Journal of History (Refereed)
Date: April 1, 2003
Publisher: University of Saskatchewan
Volume: 38Issue: 1Page: 175(3)

Article Type: Book Review

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