Tocqueville: The Ancien Regime and the French Revolution (Cambridge Texts in the History of Political Thought) by Unknown

Author:Unknown
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9781139072953
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
Published: 2007-05-03T06:00:00+00:00

III.2 – How Irreligion Was Able to Become a General and Dominant Passion in Eighteenth-Century France, and How It Influenced the Character of the Revolution

In the wake of the great revolution of the sixteenth century, when the critical spirit had applied itself to the task of distinguishing false from true among the various Christian traditions, bolder and more curious minds had repeatedly dared to contest or reject all of them. The same spirit that had led millions of Catholics to abandon Catholicism in Luther’s time impelled a few individual Christians every year to abandon Christianity itself: unbelief followed heresy.

In general terms it is safe to say that by the eighteenth century, Christianity had lost much of its power throughout Europe. In most countries, however, it was neglected rather than violently combated. Even those countries that abandoned religion did so almost regretfully. Irreligion was widespread among princes and clever wits but had yet to penetrate deeply into the middle and lower classes. It was still an intellectual caprice, not a common opinion. In 1787, Mirabeau said that “it is widely believed in Germany that the Prussian provinces are full of atheists. The truth is that although some freethinkers can be found there, the common people are as devoted to religion as in the most devout countries, and indeed there is no shortage of fanatics.”1 It was deeply to be regretted, moreover, that Frederick II had not authorized the marriage of Catholic priests and, even more, that he had refused to allow those who did marry to keep the income from their benefices, “a measure, I daresay, that would have been worthy of that great man.” Nowhere had irreligion yet become a general, ardent, intolerant, and oppressive passion, except in France.

There, something totally unprecedented occurred. Established religions had come under violent attack before, but the ardor directed against them had always stemmed from the zeal inspired by some new religion. Even the false and detestable religions of Antiquity did not arouse passionate adversaries in large numbers until Christianity offered itself as a replacement. Until then, the old religions had been dwindling quietly and steadily amid doubt and indifference: dying of old age, as it were. In France, Christianity was attacked with a kind of frenzy, yet no one even tried to replace it with another religion. Opponents of religion sought zealously and tirelessly to drain souls of their faith, then left them empty. A host of enthusiasts took this thankless task upon themselves. Absolute disbelief – a state contrary to man’s natural instincts and most painful to the soul – somehow appealed to the multitude. What had previously produced only morbid enervation now gave rise to fanaticism and a proselytizing spirit.

The simultaneous appearance of a number of major writers disposed to deny the truths of the Christian religion seems insufficient to account for such an extraordinary occurrence. Why did all these writers, without exception, turn in this direction rather than some other? Why did none think of defending the opposite thesis? And

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