Liberty doesn’t start with limited government and individual rights – these are the product of a specific cultural evolution having its genesis in Ancient Greece and reaching the summit of philosophical maturity in the Anglo-American Enlightenment. Today civilization is weakened by a cultural disintegration and threatened by theocratic barbarians. Only a rational reality-based philosophy can secure liberty on a proper foundation.
“Jean-François Revel, who died on Saturday aged 82, was almost unique among French philosophers in being a champion of economic liberalism and an outspoken critic of the anti-Americanism of European intellectuals - particularly French ones.” Read the rest for the many insights of France's greatest social commentator.
posted by Jason Pappas at 4:48 PM
7 Comments:
Hmmm. Reading extracts of centuries of French "philosophy" had convinced me that the French aren't exactly capable of producing intellectuals. I'd honestly never heard of this guy.
I have heard of this person and read excerpts of Henri Benrhard Levy. I do not put much faith in philosophers and " intellectuals". The notion of accademic integrity is a relic of the past of a pre Chomsky era.
I agree, Beak. Professors nowadays are disengenous, and use their tenure as a bully pulpit to preach their own twisted political views.
I'm letting Voltaire, Rousseau, Camus, and Sartre exemplify what passes for French thought, which distilled, is this:
"Life sucks. But to suck is life. Viva la sucking!"
Revel seems to have had a good head on his shoulders.
But one man doesn't adequately fulfill a reasonable answer for why France should exist.
..and even if he did, well, he's dead now.
Beam,
You sound pretty discouraged. I'm currently emerging from my latest, deepest, darkest Blue Funk, so I can say "hang in there."
Of the people you mention, you might want to reconsider Voltaire. He had his share of Blue Funks too, but he was a pretty right-on sort of guy.
Camus and Rousseau - well, they just weren't carrying the freight.
Cubed,
I fully admit my (ir)rational hatred for all things French.
But, I can dig Voltaire because he hated all things French too.
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