Introduction to the Special Issue of “Studia Gilsoniana” on Revolution and the Enlightenment
Paul de Lacvivier This paper aims to highlight how the trial of Louis XVI expresses a complete inversion of the legal principles of Old Christian France, where the authority of the absolute King submits to superior customary and divine laws, against the Revolution, which makes the ‘general will’ a...
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Materiálatiipa: | Artihkal |
Giella: | English |
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International Étienne Gilson Society
2022-12-01
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Ráidu: | Studia Gilsoniana |
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Liŋkkat: | http://gilsonsociety.com/files/01_intro_557-563.pdf |
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author | Paul de Lacvivier Jason Morgan |
author_facet | Paul de Lacvivier Jason Morgan |
author_sort | Paul de Lacvivier |
collection | DOAJ |
description | Paul de Lacvivier
This paper aims to highlight how the trial of Louis XVI expresses a complete inversion of the legal principles of Old Christian France, where the authority of the absolute King submits to superior customary and divine laws, against the Revolution, which makes the ‘general will’ a God allowing for unrestrained legal positivism. After recalling how the assassination of the King allowed the vicious circle of terror, the trial of Marie-Antoinette and the revolutionary trials, we propose an explanation of the legal principles that can lead to this kind of totalitarianism. To do so, we present some cases from 19th century Japan, which, when compared with the revolutionary trials and the pre-revolutionary Christian world, provide a key to understanding: the hierarchy of positive, natural and divine laws greatly explains how such and such a legal system can allow or not the justification of mass crimes or totalitarianism.
Jason Morgan
In his 2022 volume Common Good Constitutionalism, and in a series of essays and other works prior to the book’s release, Harvard Law School professor Adrian Vermeule advances a new vision for the American republic. Against the two dominant strains of constitutional interpretation in the United States, namely originalism and progressivism (“living constitutionalism”), Vermeule argues for common good constitutionalism, a return to the ius commune pursuit of that which is good for all in accordance with the natural law. While Vermeule’s work is ambitious and his intervention into originalist-progressivist debates welcome, a question remains: will common good constitutionalism be able to overcome America’s Enlightenment civil religion? In this paper, I consider the challenges which America’s Enlightenment civil religion poses to common good constitutionalism (and any other attempt to think past the Constitution from within a constitutional framework), concluding that common good constitutionalism, insofar as it is predicated on the pre-existing Constitution and deployed within the American politico-theological domain, cannot overcome America’s Enlightenment civil religion to effect the common good. |
first_indexed | 2024-04-09T19:32:57Z |
format | Article |
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institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
issn | 2300-0066 2577-0314 |
language | English |
last_indexed | 2024-04-09T19:32:57Z |
publishDate | 2022-12-01 |
publisher | International Étienne Gilson Society |
record_format | Article |
series | Studia Gilsoniana |
spelling | doaj.art-1e08fa1ed5214b0e8d519936326762f52023-04-04T20:36:49ZengInternational Étienne Gilson SocietyStudia Gilsoniana2300-00662577-03142022-12-0111455756310.26385/SG.110420Introduction to the Special Issue of “Studia Gilsoniana” on Revolution and the EnlightenmentPaul de LacvivierJason MorganPaul de Lacvivier This paper aims to highlight how the trial of Louis XVI expresses a complete inversion of the legal principles of Old Christian France, where the authority of the absolute King submits to superior customary and divine laws, against the Revolution, which makes the ‘general will’ a God allowing for unrestrained legal positivism. After recalling how the assassination of the King allowed the vicious circle of terror, the trial of Marie-Antoinette and the revolutionary trials, we propose an explanation of the legal principles that can lead to this kind of totalitarianism. To do so, we present some cases from 19th century Japan, which, when compared with the revolutionary trials and the pre-revolutionary Christian world, provide a key to understanding: the hierarchy of positive, natural and divine laws greatly explains how such and such a legal system can allow or not the justification of mass crimes or totalitarianism. Jason Morgan In his 2022 volume Common Good Constitutionalism, and in a series of essays and other works prior to the book’s release, Harvard Law School professor Adrian Vermeule advances a new vision for the American republic. Against the two dominant strains of constitutional interpretation in the United States, namely originalism and progressivism (“living constitutionalism”), Vermeule argues for common good constitutionalism, a return to the ius commune pursuit of that which is good for all in accordance with the natural law. While Vermeule’s work is ambitious and his intervention into originalist-progressivist debates welcome, a question remains: will common good constitutionalism be able to overcome America’s Enlightenment civil religion? In this paper, I consider the challenges which America’s Enlightenment civil religion poses to common good constitutionalism (and any other attempt to think past the Constitution from within a constitutional framework), concluding that common good constitutionalism, insofar as it is predicated on the pre-existing Constitution and deployed within the American politico-theological domain, cannot overcome America’s Enlightenment civil religion to effect the common good.http://gilsonsociety.com/files/01_intro_557-563.pdffrench revolution14th julybastille dayfederation dayregenerationhistorical mythscivil religionrevolutionary festivalscitizen |
spellingShingle | Paul de Lacvivier Jason Morgan Introduction to the Special Issue of “Studia Gilsoniana” on Revolution and the Enlightenment Studia Gilsoniana french revolution 14th july bastille day federation day regeneration historical myths civil religion revolutionary festivals citizen |
title | Introduction to the Special Issue of “Studia Gilsoniana” on Revolution and the Enlightenment |
title_full | Introduction to the Special Issue of “Studia Gilsoniana” on Revolution and the Enlightenment |
title_fullStr | Introduction to the Special Issue of “Studia Gilsoniana” on Revolution and the Enlightenment |
title_full_unstemmed | Introduction to the Special Issue of “Studia Gilsoniana” on Revolution and the Enlightenment |
title_short | Introduction to the Special Issue of “Studia Gilsoniana” on Revolution and the Enlightenment |
title_sort | introduction to the special issue of studia gilsoniana on revolution and the enlightenment |
topic | french revolution 14th july bastille day federation day regeneration historical myths civil religion revolutionary festivals citizen |
url | http://gilsonsociety.com/files/01_intro_557-563.pdf |
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