Benjamin Constant’s history of philosophy

Authors

  • Artem A. Krotov Lomonosov Moscow State University

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.21638/spbu17.2020.202

Abstract

The article analyses the concept of a prominent representative of early French Romanticism, considers his division of the historical process into periods and his idea on the meaning of history. According to Constant, history is not uniform in a political sense. The lack of understanding this important truth by the rulers has always brought untold sufferings to their subjects. Constant’s philosophy of history is based on the idea of improving the human race, typical for the intellectual culture of the Age of Enlightenment, to which he gave a new sound, contraposing the spirit of war with the spirit of trade. Distinguishing between two types of freedom, he associated the first variety with the tradition of ancient people’s assemblies, collective direct decisions, and the second with the system of representative government. His periodization of world history concretizes the idea of progress as a fundamental law of nature. He included psychological elements into his interpretation of the meaning of revolutionary events. Treating inequality as the basis of social adversity, he attributed independence in deeds, choice of life’s priorities, personal security, the right to own property, and the ability to express and defend different opinions as the most important human freedoms. Expressed clearly in a number of Constant’s works is the desire to distance himself from the various opposing parties, to appear as an unbiased observer, and a sage guiding his efforts to the common good. This corresponded greatly to the ideal of a philosopher represented on the pages of d’Alembert and Diderot’s famous “Encyclopédie.” At the same time, his doctrine represents a certain rethinking of the Enlightenment legacy, carried out through the lens of the experience of revolutionary times. Hence the demand to limit popular sovereignty, criticism of Russoism, a unique concept of the evolution of religion.

Keywords:

Benjamin Constant, French liberalism, history of philosophy, French Revolution, French philosophy of 19th century

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References

Литература

1. Градовский, А. Д. (1899), Политические теории XIX столетия. II. Парламентаризм во Франции. Б. Констан, в Градовский, А. Д. Собр. Соч., т. 3., СПб.: Типография М. М. Стасюлевича, с. 133–268.

2. Las Case, E. de (2018), Le mémorial de Sainte-Hélène. Le manuscrit retrouvé, Paris: Perrin.

3. Constant, B. (1988), De la force du gouvernement actuel de la France et de la nécessité de s’y rallier. Des réactions politiques. Des effets de la terreur, Paris: Flammarion.

4. Constant, B. (1986), De l`esprit de conquête et de l`usurpation, Paris: Flammarion.

5. Constant, B. (1982), Ecrits politiques, Paris: Gallimard.

6. Констан, Б. (2010), О госпоже де Сталь и ее произведениях, в Эстетика раннего французского романтизма, М.: Искусство, с. 248–257.

7. Constant, B. (2013), Adolphe, Paris: Flammarion.

8. Constant, B. (1836), Cours de politique constitutionnelle, t. 1–2, Paris: Didier.

9. Rudler, G. (1909), La jeunesse de Benjamin Constant. 1767–1794, Paris: Armand Colin.

10. Lauris, G. (1904), Benjamin Constant et les idées liberals, Paris: Plon.

11. Lefranc, J. (1984), Constant, Dictionnaire des philosophes, vol. 1, Paris: PUF, pp. 601–605.

12. Terestchenko, M., Mattéi, J.-F. et Winkler, M. (1992), Constant de Rebecque, Encyclopédie philosophoque universelle, sous la dir. d’André Jacob, vol. III. Les oeuvres philosophiques, t. 1, Paris: PUF, pp. 1685–1688.

13. Федорова, М. М. (2004), Бенжамен Констан, в Очерки истории западноевропейского либерализма (XVII–XIX вв.), М.: ИФРАН, с. 120–132.

14. Федосова, Е. И. (2001), Либеральная мысль в период Реставрации, в Смирнов, В. П. (ред.), Французский либерализм в прошлом и настоящем, М.: Изд-во МГУ, с. 80–99.

References

1. Gradovskij, A. D. (1899), Political theories of 19 th century. II. Parliamentarism in France. B. Constant, in Gradovskij, A. D., Sobranie sochinenii, vol. 3, St. Petersburg: Tipografiia M. M. Stasiulevicha Publ., pp. 133–268. (In Russian)

2. Las Case, E. de. (2018), Le mémorial de Sainte-Hélène. Le manuscrit retrouvé, Paris: Perrin.

3. Constant, B. (1988), De la force du gouvernement actuel de la France et de la nécessité de s`y rallier. Desréactions politiques. Des effets de la terreur, Paris: Flammarion.

4. Constant, B. (1986), De l`esprit de conquête et de l`usurpation, Paris: Flammarion.

5. Constant, B. (2010), Ecrits politiques, Paris: Gallimard.

6. Constan, B. (1982), About Madame de Staël and her works, in Estetika rannego frantsuzskogo romantizma, Moscow: Iskusstvo Publ., pp. 248–257. (In Russian)

7. Constant, B. (2013), Adolphe, Paris: Flammarion.

8. Constant, B. (1836), Cours de politique constitutionnelle, t. 1–2, Paris: Didier.

9. Rudler, G. (1909), La jeunesse de Benjamin Constant. 1767–1794, Paris: Armand Colin.

10. Lauris, G. (1904), Benjamin Constant et les idées liberals, Paris: Plon.

11. Lefranc, J. (1984), Constant, Dictionnaire des philosophes, vol. 1, Paris: PUF, pp. 601–605.

12. Terestchenko, M., Mattéi, J.-F. et Winkler, M. (1992), Constant de Rebecque, Encyclopédie philosophoque universelle, sous la dir. d’ André Jacob, vol. III: Les oeuvres philosophiques, t. 1, Paris: PUF, pp. 1685–1688.

13. Fedorova, M. M. (2004), Benjamin Constant, in Ocherki istorii zapadnoevropeiskogo liberalizma (XVII–XIX vv.), Moscow: IFRAN Publ., pp. 120–132. (In Russian)

14. Fedosova, E. I. (2001), Liberal thought during the Restoration period, in Smirnov, V. P. (ed.), Frantsuzskii liberalizm v proshlom i nastoiashchem, Moscow: MGU Publ., pp. 80–99. (In Russian)

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Published

2020-06-30

How to Cite

Krotov, A. A. (2020). Benjamin Constant’s history of philosophy. Vestnik of Saint Petersburg University. Philosophy and Conflict Studies, 36(2), 227–239. https://doi.org/10.21638/spbu17.2020.202

Issue

Vol. 36 No. 2 (2020): Vestnik of Saint Petersburg University. Philosophy and Conflict Studies

Section

Philosophy

License

Articles of "Vestnik of Saint Petersburg University. Philosophy and Conflict Studies" are open access distributed under the terms of the License Agreement with Saint Petersburg State University, which permits to the authors unrestricted distribution and self-archiving free of charge.