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The Ninth of Thermidor
Jul. 28th, 2006 08:13 amAnd I overlooked that yesterday was the Ninth of Thermidor, the day which marks both the accession and fall of Maximilien Robespierre, the Incorruptible.
Robespierre impresses me deeply. He's largely overlooked today, but he's one of the pivotal figures of history, without whom the ideological tyrannies of the 20th century such as Communism and Naziism would probably never have happened. Certainly there had been tyrants in the past, but all of them recognized that there were practical limits to their power. Robespierre did not. Robespierre was the first to imagine that it might be possible to build a perfected society by changing human nature itself.
Like most men who have launched Wagnerian-scale political disasters, Robespierre honestly meant to do good, and had unshakeable faith in his own judgement of right and wrong. The phrase "The Reign of Terror" wasn't bestowed upon his government by his enemies - he named it that humself. His shining vision of a perfect world justified any measures needed to bring it about, and he minced no words about what was required.
So, take a moment today to reflect on the legacy of Maximilien Robespierre. In a very real sense, he built the 20th century.
Robespierre impresses me deeply. He's largely overlooked today, but he's one of the pivotal figures of history, without whom the ideological tyrannies of the 20th century such as Communism and Naziism would probably never have happened. Certainly there had been tyrants in the past, but all of them recognized that there were practical limits to their power. Robespierre did not. Robespierre was the first to imagine that it might be possible to build a perfected society by changing human nature itself.
Like most men who have launched Wagnerian-scale political disasters, Robespierre honestly meant to do good, and had unshakeable faith in his own judgement of right and wrong. The phrase "The Reign of Terror" wasn't bestowed upon his government by his enemies - he named it that humself. His shining vision of a perfect world justified any measures needed to bring it about, and he minced no words about what was required.
So, take a moment today to reflect on the legacy of Maximilien Robespierre. In a very real sense, he built the 20th century.
