the French Revolution: The Birth of Left and Right

The French Revolution is perhaps the key event of modernity, because it set in motion so many of the ideas that shape modern political thought: liberty, equality, progress, and more. Yet from its very start fierce debates erupted as to whether one should celebrate or condemn the Revolution and its consequences. This seminar introduces the political thought of the French Revolution through these debates. We shall examine some thinkers who praised or condemned the Revolution as it unfolded. We shall also examine 19th century responses to the Revolution and its consequences, from liberals as well as illiberals of the left and right, with a view to discussing the extent to which these debates persist in contemporary politics.

Schedule

• Monday, March 2: Celebrating or Condemning the French Revolution? Thomas Paine vs. Edmund Burke

• Monday, March 23: After the Revolution: The Liberal Interpretation: Constant, The Liberty of the Ancients Compared with That of the Moderns

• Monday, March 30: After the Revolution: Illiberal Interpretations: de Maistre and Marx

• Monday, April 6: The Legacy of French Revolution Today: The Contemporary Left and Right