Reviews for L'art de la liberté

The average rating for L'art de la liberté based on 2 reviews is 3 stars.

Review # 1 was written on 2011-01-30 00:00:00 Jonathan Storts Interpreting the French Revolution, François Furet's most famous and widely celebrated text, represents an important and fascinating addition to the debate over the nature and significance of the French Revolution. Split into two distinct parts, Furet's work savagely critiques the "classical" or "Marxist" interpretation of the Revolution, which, until the book's publication in 1978, had largely dominated the popular historiographical approach favoured by historians of the period. Coming from an ex-communist who had undergone a sharp turn to the right, Interpreting the French Revolution made a significant impact on the way in which the events in question were viewed. As someone with only a limited knowledge of the French Revolution, my critique of Furet's approach can only go so far, but it is undeniable that Interpreting the French Revolution should be celebrated as the catalyst for a marked shift in the way in which intellectuals now approach and understand the revolutionary period. Furet is right to argue that much of the French writing on the Revolution had taken the form of the historian's self-identification with the period being examined, and that, after 1917, a new "declaration of political faith" had emerged, brought to life by the Russian Revolution, with historians on the left viewing the events in France as being "notre mère à tous". Slightly more contentious is his assertion that the French Revolution was driven more by political aims than by social conditions and class dissatisfaction, although the criticism he levels at Claude Mazauric and, in particular, Albert Soboul are compelling. It is certainly an undeniable fact that Interpreting the French Revolution is a fascinating and enlightening piece of work, and one that is rightly viewed as an incredibly important addition to the continuing debate surrounding the events and legacy of the Revolution.

Review # 2 was written on 2019-09-09 00:00:00 Philippe Capdevielle In his introduction, Furet says that the French Revolution is finished. For him, the republican model could not be questionned. The monarchical risk of restoration is worthless. France thus would be pacified and linked. Is it truth? The Hate against rich person is never also violent. They are not killed but the murder is symbolic : 75 % taxes it's a way of denying the person. And there is this quite French arrogance to want to teach lessons to the world.(I'm french) By the way, it's nécessary to read Furet because his analysis give a new vision. Before him, we are complain to accept marxist conception (Sadoul...)His analysis défined new concept.