POL320Y1 Lecture Notes - Lecture 3: Gustave De Beaumont, French Revolution, Alexis De Tocqueville
7 Feb 2017
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Document Summary
January 25, 2017: the french revolution and the modern political subject: four views. What it maenad to be a political subject is someone who seeks freedom. Quest for political freedom, even though the enlightenment thinkers did not fully understand freedom at this time. Revolution failed in short term but in long term succeeded by creating liberal regimes in europe who protected human rights and freedoms. Ideals themselves where wrong in the revolution even though it achieved its goals in the long term. Possibility of evolution in political life and progress but it also exposed the inadequacy of liberal ideas. Step one of a much broader need for change, it needs to be superseded and passed, not just in the public realm but in everyday life. A gain, but not the end of progress: the french revolution in ushering in the political primacy of equality and freedom was essentially a debilitating moment in human history reactionary and conservative views.
