Literature

The Ancient Regime

Hippolyte Taine

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Society & cultureHistory - EuropeanHistory - Early Modern (c. 1450-1750)

Editions

John Durand translation

Table of contents

1. THE ORIGINS OF CONTEMPORARY FRANCE, VOLUME 12. INTRODUCTION3. PREFACE:4. PREFACE BY THE AUTHOR: ON POLITICAL IGNORANCE AND WISDOM.5. CHAPTER I. THE ORIGIN OF PRIVILEGES.6. I. Services and Recompenses of the Clergy.7. II. Services and Recompenses of the Nobles.8. III. Services and Recompenses of the King.9. CHAPTER II. THE PRIVILEGED CLASSES. I. Number of the Privileged Classes.10. II. Their Possessions, Capital, and Revenue.11. III. Their Immunities.12. IV. Their Feudal Rights.13. V. They may be justified by local and general services.14. CHAPTER III. LOCAL SERVICES DUE BY THE PRIVILEGED CLASSES. I. Examples in Germany and England.—These services are not rendered by15. II. Resident Seigniors.16. III. Absentee Seigniors.17. CHAPTER IV. PUBLIC SERVICES DUE BY THE PRIVILEGED CLASSES. I. England compared to France.18. II. The Clergy19. III. Influence of the Nobles.20. IV. Isolation of the Chiefs21. V. The King's Incompetence and Generosity.22. VI. Latent Disorganization in France.23. CHAPTER I. MORAL PRINCIPLES UNDER THE ANCIENT REGIME. The Court and a life of pomp and parade.24. The Physical aspect and the moral character of Versailles.25. II. The King's Household.26. III. The King's Associates.27. IV. Everyday Life In Court.28. V. Royal Distractions.29. VI. Upper Class Distractions.30. VII. Provincial Nobility.31. CHAPTER II. DRAWING ROOM LIFE.220132. I. Perfect only in France33. II. Social Life Has Priority.34. III. Universal Pleasure Seeking.35. IV. Enjoyment.36. V. Happiness.37. VI. Gaiety.38. VII. Theater, Parade And Extravagance.39. CHAPTER III. DISADVANTAGES OF THIS DRAWING ROOM LIFE. I. Its Barrenness and Artificiality40. II. Return To Nature And Sentiment.41. III. Personality Defects.42. CHAPTER I. SCIENTIFIC ACQUISITION.43. I. Scientific Progress.44. II. Science Detached From Theology.45. III. The Transformation Of History.46. IV. The New Psychology.47. V. The Analytical Method.48. CHAPTER II. THE CLASSIC SPIRIT, THE SECOND ELEMENT.49. I. Through Colored Glasses.50. II. Its Original Deficiency.51. III. The Mathematical Method.52. CHAPTER III. COMBINATION OF THE TWO ELEMENTS. I. Birth Of A Doctrine, A Revelation.53. II. Ancestral Tradition And Culture.54. III. Reason At War With Illusion.55. IV. Casting Out The Residue Of Truth And Justice.56. V. The Dream Of A Return To Nature.57. VI. The Abolition Of Society. Rousseau.58. VII: The Lost Children.59. CHAPTER IV. ORGANIZING THE FUTURE SOCIETY. I. Liberty, Equality And Sovereignty Of The People.60. II. Naive Convictions61. III. Our True Human Nature.62. IV. Birth Of Socialist Theory, Its Two Sides.63. V. Social Contract, Summary.64. CHAPTER I.—SUCCESS OF THIS PHILOSOPHY IN FRANCE.—FAILURE OF THE SAME65. I. The Propagating Organ, Eloquence.66. II. Its Method.67. III. Its Popularity.68. IV. The Masters.69. CHAPTER II. THE FRENCH PUBLIC. I. The Nobility.70. II. Conditions In France.71. III. French Indolence.72. IV. Unbelief.73. V. Political Opposition.74. VI. Well-Meaning Government.75. CHAPTER III. THE MIDDLE CLASS. I. The Past.76. II. CHANGE IN THE CONDITION OF THE BOURGEOIS.77. III. Social Promotion.78. IV. Rousseau's Philosophy Spreads And Takes HOLD.79. V. Revolutionary Passions.80. VI. Summary81. CHAPTER I. HARDSHIPS. I. Privations.82. II. The Peasants.83. III. The Countryside.84. IV. The Peasant Becomes Landowner.85. CHAPTER II. TAXATION THE PRINCIPAL CAUSE OF MISERY. I. Extortion.86. II. Local Conditions.87. III. The Common Laborer.88. IV. Collections And Seizures.—Observe the system actually at work. It89. V. Indirect Taxes.90. VI. Burdens And Exemptions.91. VII. Municipal Taxation.92. VIII. Complaints In The Registers 5272.93. CHAPTER III. INTELLECTUAL STATE OF THE PEOPLE. I. Intellectual incapacity94. II. Political incapacity95. III. Destructive impulses96. IV. Insurrectionary leaders and recruits97. CHAPTER IV. THE ARMED FORCES. I. Military force declines98. II. The social organization is dissolved99. III.--Direction of the current100. CHAPTER V. SUMMARY. I. Suicide of the Ancient Regime.101. II.--Aspirations for the 'Great Revolution.'102. END OF VOLUME
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