Summary
Robespierre argues that the French Republic's government must be revolutionary, guided by principles of virtue and terror. Virtue, he states, is the source of power in peacetime, but during the Revolution, both virtue and terror are necessary. Terror is defined as swift, severe, and indomitable justice, essential for suppressing the enemies of liberty. The government of the Revolution is presented as the despotism of liberty against tyranny, where terror is a justified tool to prevent the destruction of patriots and the Republic.
The central goal of the Republic is to establish a social order that promotes benevolence, usefulness to the country, and equality, replacing egotism with morality and habit with principles. This revolutionary government seeks to influence the people through reason and its enemies through terror, as internal and external enemies conspire to destroy the Republic. The Republic's strength and weakness lie in its grand goal, which attracts both genuine patriots and those seeking personal gain from revolution.
Key concepts
- Revolutionary Government — A form of government necessitated by revolution, distinct from peacetime governance, requiring both virtue and terror.
- Virtue and Terror — The dual pillars of the revolutionary government's power, where virtue is essential for effective terror, and terror makes virtue potent.
- Despotism of Liberty — A paradoxical concept describing the revolutionary government's use of absolute power to secure freedom against tyrannical forces.
- Enemies of the Republic — Internal and external forces, including Royalists and conspirators, who actively work to undermine or destroy the revolutionary state.
From the book
Title: On the Principles of Political Morality (February 18, 1794) by Maximilien Robespierre← Report on the Principles of a Revolutionary Government Speeches of Maximilien Robespierre by Maximilien Robespierre , translated by Anonymous Report on the Principles of Political Morality Report on the External Situation of the Republic → Delivered February 5. 1794. 4268102 Speeches of Maximilien Robespierre — Report on the Principles of Political Morality Anonymous Maximilien Robespierre REPORT ON THE PRINCIPLES OF POLITICAL MORALITY Robespierre, on the instructions of the Committee of Public Safety, delivered the following speech in the Convention, which was an attack both on the Right and on the Left. Some time ago we analyzed the principles of our external policy; to-day we shall take up…
Popular questions readers ask
- Explain Robespierre's desired "social order" by contrasting his vision for "morality in the place of egotism" and "reason in the place of the slavery of tradition." How does he believe these shifts will specifically enable "the generality [to] safeguard the welfare of the individual"?
- Robespierre states that the "splendor of the goal" is both the source of the Revolution's strength and its weakness. Unpack this paradox: How can the very ambition for "freedom and equality" simultaneously inspire "benevolent and noble impulses" and attract "perfidious and vicious individuals" who see the Republic as "booty"?
- How does Robespierre reconcile the pursuit of "eternal justice whose laws are graven... in the hearts of all men" with the practical necessities of a "revolutionary government" that he implies must "stifle the domestic" opposition? What inherent tensions arise from these two principles in his argument?
- If you were explaining Robespierre's core argument to a friend, how would you describe the relationship between individual character (e.g., "honest men," "manly greatness") and the ultimate success of the French Republic, according to his speech?
- Robespierre envisions a "sublime, powerful, victorious and happy people." Based on his critique of those who "think of plunder" or are "friends of the tyrants," who does he implicitly include in—and exclude from—this ideal "people" who will enjoy the "peaceful enjoyment of freedom and equality"?