Passion, Politics, and Philosophie - Rediscovering J.-P. Brissot

Jacques-Pierre Brissot was among the major architects of the French Revolution, yet history has vilified and then dismissed him. His early intellectual development was strongly influenced by Enlightenment ideas and aspirations. However, his own remarkable construct of a just, democratic society, universal suffrage, and a renewed humanity living in moral and political freedom foreshadowed many present-day ideologies. The prevailing view of Brissot has pigeonholed him as Brissot, the police spy, a label difficult to remove.

Although this contention has been disputed at some length, Loft presents an alternative view of the forces that shaped Brissot's social and political activism. Tracing the gradual evolution of his ideology from its earliest stages reveals that he did not suddenly become a radical in the mid-1780s. An open, objective, and thorough evaluation of Brissot's work uncovers the roots of his lifelong commitment to reformist, egalitarian, and democratic ideals. To understand Brissot, the man and his work, one must assess the cultural, intellectual, and political influences that surrounded him. Loft offers the necessary fusion of text and context, providing a serious reconsideration of Brissot and his contributions to the history of human rights. Scholars and other researchers of the French Revolution and European political thought will find this study of particular value.

Table des matières

Introduction
Biographical Background
Brissot's Polemics on St. Paul, Roman Catholicism and Prostitution: The Pornography of Oppression
J.J. Rousseau and Lesser Luminaries
The Reformist's Mission Takes Shape
The Focus on Criminal Jurisprudence
The Role of the Publicist, or How to Create A Career
New Patterns in Pamphlet Writing
Ne Suis-je Pas Ton Frére?--Am I Not Man and A Brother?
Postlude
Select Bibliography
Index

A propos de l'auteur

Leonore Loft

Détails du produit

• Auteurs: Leonore Loft, Loft Leonore
• Edition: Bloomsbury
• Langues: Anglais
• Format d'édition: Livre Relié
• Sortie: 30.10.2001
• EAN: 9780313317798
• ISBN: 978-0-313-31779-8
• Catégories: Sciences sociales, droit, économie > Sciences politiques > Sciences politiques et formation politique; Modern history to 20th century: c 1700 to c 1900, European History, BIOGRAPHY & AUTOBIOGRAPHY / Historical, Biography: historical, political & military, PHILOSOPHY / Social, PHILOSOPHY / Political, HISTORY / Europe / General, PHILOSOPHY / History & Surveys / General, 19th century, c 1800 to c 1899, Social & political philosophy, social and political philosophy, 18th century, c 1700 to c 1799, Western philosophy: c 1600 to c 1900, Philosophical traditions and schools of thought, Biography: historical, political and military, World History: Politics and Government