French Nobility Research Articles

Social Vocation

Ignorance is one of the greatest evils. It is often the cause of great harm in both the moral and physical spheres. Especially one can note this in the sphere of the social problems. Ignorance is an important factor in helping class hatred.After the Paris Commune a lay brother of the Vincentians pointed this out to two members of the French aristocracy and in doing so helped to change their lives.The three were inspecting the ruins of palaces when Brother Maurice turned to the others and said, “It is you who have amused yourselves within these palaces now in ruins: you who pass by without seeing the people, without knowing them or their thoughts or characters, or caring for their needs and their sufferings, it is you who are the real culprits.”

The French Nobility

Journal Article The French Nobility Get access William Harcourt-Bath William Harcourt-Bath Search for other works by this author on: Oxford Academic Google Scholar Notes and Queries, Volume CLII, Issue jun11, 11 June 1927, Page 426, https://doi.org/10.1093/nq/CLII.jun11.426f Published: 11 June 1927

The Social Problem and the Present War

An American publicist2 recently predicted that the end of our present social order would come before I930. He points out that many of the social tendencies of the present are strikingly like those which preceded the French Revolution. He cites the mental opacity of our ruling classes as in many respects similar to the stupidity of the old French nobility when they were faced by the necessity of social readjustment in their time. The parallel between recent social unrest and that which preceded the storm of the French Revolution would probably be assented to by nearly all students of social history. Indeed, it requires no profound scientific mind to see the parallel. The blindness and ultraconservatism of many in our privileged classes on the one hand, the fanatic radicalism and one-sidedness of many of the leaders of the non-privileged on the other, would breed trouble in any social order. Unless plasticity of mind and a sense of social obligation can be instilled into our socially fortunate classes, and broadminded and constructive views shall dominate the leaders of our masses, western civilization is indeed brewing for the world something worse than a French Revolution. The problem of our civilization is something more than the mere threatened overthrow of existing political and industrial institutions. This the present European war (I9I4) makes evident. The problem before us is not how to avoid political revolution, but rather how to avoid the decay and disintegration of civilization itself. Many writers have recently told us that our civilization is on the wane, and many things might be cited in the present European war to show that such a conclusion is no mere

The Social Problem and the Present War

An American publicist2 recently predicted that the end of our present social order would come before I930. He points out that many of the social tendencies of the present are strikingly like those which preceded the French Revolution. He cites the mental opacity of our ruling classes as in many respects similar to the stupidity of the old French nobility when they were faced by the necessity of social readjustment in their time. The parallel between recent social unrest and that which preceded the storm of the French Revolution would probably be assented to by nearly all students of social history. Indeed, it requires no profound scientific mind to see the parallel. The blindness and ultraconservatism of many in our privileged classes on the one hand, the fanatic radicalism and one-sidedness of many of the leaders of the non-privileged on the other, would breed trouble in any social order. Unless plasticity of mind and a sense of social obligation can be instilled into our socially fortunate classes, and broadminded and constructive views shall dominate the leaders of our masses, western civilization is indeed brewing for the world something worse than a French Revolution. The problem of our civilization is something more than the mere threatened overthrow of existing political and industrial institutions. This the present European war (I9I4) makes evident. The problem before us is not how to avoid political revolution, but rather how to avoid the decay and disintegration of civilization itself. Many writers have recently told us that our civilization is on the wane, and many things might be cited in the present European war to show that such a conclusion is no mere

French Nobility

French Nobility

French Nobility

French Nobility

French nobility

French nobility

French nobility

Journal Article French nobility Get access E. H. A. E. H. A. Search for other works by this author on: Oxford Academic Google Scholar Notes and Queries, Volume s5-X, Issue 246, 14 September 1878, Page 207, https://doi.org/10.1093/nq/s5-X.246.207d Published: 14 September 1878