The Generative Principle of Political Constitutions: Studies on Sovereignty, Religion and Enlightenment

by de Maistre,Joseph

• ISBN13: 9781412842655
• ISBN10: 1412842654
• Edition: Reprint
• Format: Nonspecific Binding
• Copyright: 2011-12-30
• Publisher: Routledge

Summary

Originally published: The works of Joseph de Maistre: selected, translated and introduced by Jack Lively. New York: Macmillan, 1965.

Author Biography

Joseph de Maistre (1753-1821) was a philosopher, writer, lawyer, and diplomat most known for his public support for restoring the French monarchy directly after the French Revolution. He argued that this was the only form of stable government and also believed that the Catholic Church should receive state recognition. Some of his most famous writings translated into English include Memoir on the Union of Savoy and Switzerland and The Pope: Considered in His Relations with the Church, Temporal Sovereignties, Separated Churches and the Cause of Civilization. Jack Lively, who passed away in 1998, was professor of politics at Warwick University. His work focused on Enlightenment and post-Enlightenment thought, the study of democracy, and the defense of liberal values of rational political engagement. Some of his works include The Social and Political Thought of Alexis de Tocqueville, Democracy, and Utilitarian Logic and Politics.

Table of Contents

Preface	p. xi
Introduction	p. 1
Life	p. 1
Maistre and His Interpreters	p. 2
Maistre and the Enlightenment	p. 8
Human Nature	p. 9
The Human Condition	p. 12
The Divine Voice in History	p. 14
The Problem of Evil	p. 21
The Political System	p. 24
Revolutionary and Reactionary Thought	p. 30
Considerations on France	p. 47
On Revolutions	p. 47
Thoughts on the Ways of Providence in the French Revolution	p. 50
Of the Violent Destruction of Humanity	p. 61
Can the French Republic Last?	p. 65
On the French Revolution Considered in Its Antireligious Character-Digression on Christianity	p. 71
Of the Divine Influence in Political Constitutions	p. 77
Signs of Nullity in the French Government	p. 80
On the Old French Constitution-Digression on the king and the Declaration to the French of July 1795	p. 85
How Will the Counter-Revolution come about if it Happens?	p. 86
Of the Pretended Dangers of a Counter-Revolution	p. 88
Study on Sovereignty	p. 93
On the Origins of Sovereignty	p. 93
The Sovereignty of the People	p. 93
Origins of Society	p. 94
Sovereignty in General	p. 98
Particular Sovereignties and Nations	p. 99
An Examination of Some Ideas of Rousseau on the Legislator	p. 101
The Founders and the Political Constitution of Nations	p. 102
The Weakness of Human Power	p. 105
Continuation of the Same Subject	p. 107
The National Soul	p. 108
Application of the Preceding Principles to a Particular Case-Continuation	p. 109
A Necessary Explanation	p. 111
On the Nature of Sovereignty	p. 112
The Nature of Sovereignty in General	p. 112
Monarchy	p. 113
On Aristocracy	p. 119
Democracy	p. 119
The Best Species of Government	p. 126
Continuation of the Same Subject	p. 126
Reflections on This Subject	p. 128
The Pope	p. 131
Of the Pope in His Relations with the Catholic Church	p. 131
Infallibility	p. 131
Councils	p. 133
Analogies Derived from Temporal Power	p. 133
Of the Pope in His Relations with Temporal Sovereignties	p. 134
A Few Words on Sovereignty	p. 134
Inconveniences of Sovereignty	p. 135
Ideas of Antiquity on the Great Problem	p. 138
Further Considerations on the Same Subject	p. 140
Distinguishing Characteristics of the Power Exercised by the Popes	p. 141
Justification of Papal Power	p. 141
Of the Pope in His Relations with the Civilization and Happiness of Peoples	p. 143
Civil Liberty of Mankind	p. 143
Essay on the Generative Principle of Political Constitutions	p. 147
The Saint Petersburg Dialogues	p. 183
First Dialogue	p. 183
Second Dialogue	p. 195
Third Dialogue	p. 211
Fourth Dialogue	p. 212
Fifth Dialogue	p. 222
Sixth Dialogue	p. 237
Seventh Dialogue	p. 245
Eighth Dialogue	p. 259
Ninth Dialogue	p. 269
Tenth Dialogue	p. 274
Eleventh Dialogue	p. 287
Enlightenment on Sacrifices	p. 291
Sacrifices in General	p. 291
Human Sacrifices	p. 295
The Christian Theory of Sacrifices	p. 297
Index	p. 299
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