The Origins of Contemporary France: The Ancient Regime Hippolyte A. Taine The Origins of Contemporary France: The Ancient Regime Table of Contents The Origins of Contemporary France: The Ancient Regime...............................................................................1 Hippolyte A. Taine.........................................................................................................................................2 INTRODUCTION.........................................................................................................................................4 PREFACE BY THE AUTHOR: ON POLITICAL IGNORANCE AND WISDOM....................................9 BOOK FIRST. THE STRUCTURE OF THE ANCIENT SOCIETY......................................................................12 CHAPTER I. THE ORIGIN OF PRIVILEGES..........................................................................................13 CHAPTER II. THE PRIVILEGED CLASSES...........................................................................................19 CHAPTER III. LOCAL SERVICES DUE BY THE PRIVILEGED CLASSES........................................27 CHAPTER IV. PUBLIC SERVICES DUE BY THE PRIVILEGED CLASSES.......................................43 BOOK SECOND. MORALS AND CHARACTERS...............................................................................................56 CHAPTER I. MORAL PRINCIPLES UNDER THE ANCIENT REGIME...............................................57 CHAPTER II. DRAWING ROOM LIFE.[1]..............................................................................................76 CHAPTER III. DISADVANTAGES OF THIS DRAWING ROOM LIFE................................................93 BOOK THIRD. THE SPIRIT AND THE DOCTRINE..........................................................................................100 CHAPTER I. SCIENTIFIC ACQUISITION.............................................................................................101 CHAPTER II. THE CLASSIC SPIRIT, THE SECOND ELEMENT.......................................................108 CHAPTER III. COMBINATION OF THE TWO ELEMENTS...............................................................119 CHAPTER IV. ORGANIZING THE FUTURE SOCIETY......................................................................133 BOOK FOURTH. THE PROPAGATION OF THE DOCTRINE.........................................................................143 CHAPTER I. SUCCESS OF THIS PHILOSOPHY IN FRANCE. − FAILURE OF THE SAME PHILOSOPHY IN ENGLAND................................................................................................................144 CHAPTER II. THE FRENCH PUBLIC....................................................................................................157 CHAPTER III. THE MIDDLE CLASS....................................................................................................171 BOOK FIFTH. THE PEOPLE................................................................................................................................183 CHAPTER I. HARDSHIPS.......................................................................................................................184 CHAPTER II. TAXATION THE PRINCIPAL CAUSE OF MISERY....................................................194 CHAPTER III. INTELLECTUAL STATE OF THE PEOPLE.................................................................207 CHAPTER IV. The Armed Forces............................................................................................................215 CHAPTER V. SUMMARY.......................................................................................................................220 END OF VOLUME NOTES:....................................................................................................................223 i The Origins of Contemporary France: The Ancient Regime The Origins of Contemporary France: The Ancient Regime 1 The Origins of Contemporary France: The Ancient Regime Hippolyte A. Taine Translated by John Durand This page copyright © 2001 Blackmask Online. http://www.blackmask.com • INTRODUCTION • PREFACE BY THE AUTHOR: ON POLITICAL IGNORANCE AND WISDOM. • BOOK FIRST. THE STRUCTURE OF THE ANCIENT SOCIETY. • CHAPTER I. THE ORIGIN OF PRIVILEGES. • CHAPTER II. THE PRIVILEGED CLASSES. • CHAPTER III. LOCAL SERVICES DUE BY THE PRIVILEGED CLASSES. • CHAPTER IV. PUBLIC SERVICES DUE BY THE PRIVILEGED CLASSES. • BOOK SECOND. MORALS AND CHARACTERS. • CHAPTER I. MORAL PRINCIPLES UNDER THE ANCIENT REGIME. • CHAPTER II. DRAWING ROOM LIFE.[1] • CHAPTER III. DISADVANTAGES OF THIS DRAWING ROOM LIFE. • BOOK THIRD. THE SPIRIT AND THE DOCTRINE. • CHAPTER I. SCIENTIFIC ACQUISITION. • CHAPTER II. THE CLASSIC SPIRIT, THE SECOND ELEMENT. • CHAPTER III. COMBINATION OF THE TWO ELEMENTS. • CHAPTER IV. ORGANIZING THE FUTURE SOCIETY. • BOOK FOURTH. THE PROPAGATION OF THE DOCTRINE. • CHAPTER I. SUCCESS OF THIS PHILOSOPHY IN FRANCE. − FAILURE OF THE SAME PHILOSOPHY IN ENGLAND. • CHAPTER II. THE FRENCH PUBLIC. • CHAPTER III. THE MIDDLE CLASS. • BOOK FIFTH. THE PEOPLE • CHAPTER I. HARDSHIPS. • CHAPTER II. TAXATION THE PRINCIPAL CAUSE OF MISERY. • CHAPTER III. INTELLECTUAL STATE OF THE PEOPLE. • CHAPTER IV. The Armed Forces. • CHAPTER V. SUMMARY. • END OF VOLUME NOTES: This Etext prepared by Svend Rom [email protected] Hippolyte A. Taine 2 The Origins of Contemporary France: The Ancient Regime Hippolyte A. Taine 3 The Origins of Contemporary France: The Ancient Regime INTRODUCTION Why should we fetch Taine's work up from its dusty box in the basement of the national library? First of all because his realistic views of our human nature, of our civilization and of socialism as well as his dark premonitions of the 20th century were proven correct. Secondly because we may today with more accuracy call his work: "The Origins of Popular Democracy and of Communism." His lucid analysis of the current ideology remains as interesting or perhaps even more interesting than when it was written especially because we cannot accuse him of being part in our current political and ideological struggle. Even though I found him wise, even though he confirmed my own impressions from a rich and varied life, even though I considered that our children and the people at large should benefit from his insights into the innermost recesses of the political Man, I still felt it would be best to find out why his work had been put on the index by the French and largely forgotten by the Anglo−Saxon world. So I consulted a contemporary French authority, Jean−François Revel who mentions Taine works in his book, "La Connaissance Inutile." (Paris 1988). Revel notes that a socialist historian, Alphonse Aulard methodically and dishonestly attacked "Les Origines..", and that Aulard was specially recruited by the University of Sorbonne for this purpose. Aulard pretended that Taine was a poor historian by finding a number of errors in Taine's work. This was done, says Revel, because the 'Left' came to see Taine's work as "a vile counter−revolutionary weapon." The French historian Augustin Cochin proved, however, that Aulard and not Taine had made the errors but by that time Taine had been defamed and his works removed from the shelves of the French universities. Now Taine was not a professional historian. Perhaps this was as well since most professional historians, even when conscientious and accurate, rarely are in a position to be independent. They generally work for a university, for a national public or for the ministry of education and their books, once approved, may gain a considerable income once millions of pupils are compelled to acquire these. Taine initially became famous, not as a professional historian but as a literary critic and journalist. His fame allowed him to sell his books and articles and make a comfortable living without cow−towing to any government or university. He wrote as he saw fit, truthfully, even though it might displease a number of powerful persons. Taine did not pretend to be a regular historian, but rather someone enquiring into the history of Public Authorities and their supporters. Through his comments he appears not only as a decent person but also as a psychologist and seer. He describes mankind, as I know it from my life in institutions, at sea and abroad in a large international organization. He describes mankind as it was, as it was seen by Darwin in 'THE EXPRESSIONS OF EMOTIONS IN MAN AND ANIMALS. Taine described the human being as he was and is and had the courage to tell the French about themselves, their ancient rulers, and the men of the Revolution, even if it went against the favorable opinion so many of his countrymen had of this terrible period. His understanding of our evolution, of mankind and of the evolution of society did not find favor with men who believed that they in the socialist ideology had found the solution to all social ills. Only recently has science begun to return to Darwin in order to rediscover the human being as Taine knew him. You can find Taine's views of humanity confirmed in Robert Wright's book 'THE MORAL ANIMAL.' (Why we are the way we are.) Taine had full access to the files of the French National archives and these and other original documents. Taine had received a French classical education and, being foremost among many brilliant men, had a capacity for study and work which we no longer demand from our young. He accepted Man and society, as they appeared to him, he described his findings without compassion for the hang−ups of his