Session 4: French Foundations of Socialism, Communism and Rousseau's Naturalism  

Students participating in this class session will prepare their homework assignments and post their responses in Drop box 4 on the course lesson board by 5:00 p.m. on the Sunday evening immediately following each on-campus class meeting. However, all class readings must be completed prior to class convening to insure students can participate in class discussion.  Remember you are required to know the answers to each and every one of these questions for the Comprehensive Exam.

Viewing Assignment: 

The History Channel’s The French Revolution (Notes) (Notes), Part 1; Part 2; Part 3; Part 4; Part 5; Part 6; Part 7; Part 8; Part 9

Reading Assignments: 

Rousseau's 1754 essay "What Is The Origin Of Inequality Among Men, And Is It Authorised By Natural Law?" (Slides); Louis Auguste Blanqui (1834) "Communism, The Future of Society." Gracchus Babeuf (1795) "Prospectus for Le Tribun du Peuple" and "Manifesto of the Equals."  (You will read Morelly's Code of Nature in session seven.) David Hume on The French Revolution

For this session, begin by watching the 90 minute film on the French Revolution, then do the readings. 

This session's readings involve three very early socialist/communist thinkers of the late 18th and early to mid 19th centuries. François-Noël "Gracchus" Babeuf, also known as the very earliest revolutionary communist and heir to the French Revolution. Louis Auguste Blanqui (1805-1881) a publicist, revolutionary communist and leading figure behind the French Revolution of 1830 is best known for his assertion that state socialism should outlaw the ownership of private property. Finally, Etienne-Gabriel Morelly, an obscure French tutor who is most famous for his utopian communist treatise Code of Nature. These are three of the very earliest communist writers and thinkers.  

This session also introduces you to the naturalism of Jean Jacques Rousseau who asserts that human nature - indeed nature itself - is good but has been corrupted by mankind's social institutions. More specifically Rousseau's philosophy dramatically influenced the most significant figure of the French Revolution - Maximilien Robespierre - as well as other members of Robespierre's Jacobins, to include Jean Paul Marat, and Louis de Saint Just. Rousseau's naturalism laid the blame for inequality among people at the feet of the social order. Since the French monarchy had been responsible for the inequality that characterized France at that time, and since human beings were deemed to be essentially good and redeemable, Robespierre, Marat, de Saint Just and others proceeded to overthrow the monarchy and establish a democracy from among the common people. Unfortunately, dreaming of such a society and realizing it were very different matters, as this session's film and readings establish.

Textual Reading Discussion Questions:

  Pick four questions to answer between questions 1-6 and answer question 7. Students participating in this class session will prepare their homework assignments and post their responses in Drop box 4 on the course lesson board by 5:00 p.m. on the Sunday evening immediately following each on-campus class meeting. However, all class readings must be completed prior to class convening to insure students can participate in class discussion. Remember you are required to know the answers to each and every one of these questions for the Comprehensive Exam!  

1.   August Blanqui associates human progress and the growth of society with the incremental replacement of individualism (i.e. a narrow emphasis upon the individual and individual rights) to that of "communism" (i.e. an approach where the interests of the community are elevated and prioritized over those of individuals). In this way he sees communism as the logical endpoint for human development. Go the web and explore how satisfactorily communist societies have functioned since 1834 when Blanqui's essay was published and tell me whether you agree that communism is the logical outcome of human culture and development.  

2.   Blanqui asserts that "man must make to society the sacrifice of a portion of his liberty," implying "social equality between individuals, from which it follows that freedom is limited by equality." He then goes on to state that "Only the integral association [communist association] can meet this sovereign law. The old order tramples the shameless and ruthless. Communism is the safeguarding of the individual, individualism is extermination." So while individualism is considered unsustainable, communism is considered sustainable because it safeguards the individual (the community safeguards the interests of the individual according to communally held values) while individualism itself is sacrificed. How would you feel about sacrificing your own individual desires, wants, dreams and aspirations in the interest of having your individual needs taken care of according to what the community deems to be in your best interest. Reflect on this question and explain.  

3.   Blanqui goes on to assert that "The association, in place of individual ownership, build[s] only the reign of justice through equality. Hence the growing enthusiasm of men of the future to identify and highlight elements of the association." Do you concur with Blanqui’s assertion that there should be equality of ownership (outcome) in order to achieve justice? Please explain.  

4.   In “Manifest of Equals” Babeuf asserts the equality of all citizens and calls for France to “reach for something more sublime and more just: the common good or the community of goods! No more individual property in land: the land belongs to no one. We demand, we want, the common enjoyment of the fruits of the land: the fruits belong to all. We declare that we can no longer put up with the fact that the great majority work and sweat for the smallest of minorities. This is the classic conflict between “labor” and the “capitalists” whose resources organize that labor to produce, goods, services and ultimately wealth. My question to you as the reader of this essay is that if the fruits of labor and industry belong to all, where does the ongoing source of capital come from to continually and sustainably keep all people employed? 

5.   Since this socialist model first proposed by Babeuf is the one that is most frequently advocated by many environmentalists as a way to increase justice and protect the environment, make an argument regarding why this approach IS and alternately IS NOT sustainable.  

6.   “The institution of private property is a surprise that was foisted upon the mass of simple and honest souls. The laws of this institution must necessarily bring about the existence of fortunate and unfortunate, of masters and slaves.” In this way Babeuf he calls for the elimination of private property for the realization of shared property. Is this sustainable over the long haul? Is this a world you care to live in? Please explain.    

7. Briefly summarize David Hume's assessment of the French Revolution.

 

  Video Discussion Questions:

    In the interest of preparing you for the context in which this week’s essays were written, I am having you watch the History Channel’s 9 part (90 min.) video on the French Revolution. I think you will enjoy this video and will better appreciate the context within which socialism as a political, economic and ultimately as an ecological philosophy developed. Thereafter pick seven questions to answer between questions 1-11.  Students participating in this class session will prepare their homework assignments and post their responses in Drop box 4 on the course lesson board by 5:00 p.m. on the Sunday evening immediately following each on-campus class meeting. However, all class readings must be completed prior to class convening to insure students can participate in class discussion. Remember you are required to know the answers to each and every one of these questions for the Comprehensive Exam!

Session 1  

Session 2  

Session 3  

Session 4  

Session 5  

Session 6  

Session 7  

Session 8  

Session 9

Session 10

Session 11  

Session 12

Session 13

Session 14