A Romantic Historiosophy: The Philosophy of History of Pierre-Simon Ballanche (Brill's Studies in Intellectual History, 82)

This intellectual history study locates the philosophy of history of Pierre-Simon Ballanche (1776-1847) within the intellectual, religious, and social life of Restoration and July Monarchy France, and argues for the recognition of Ballanche as an important contributor to that milieu. Its four parts blend the topical and evolutionary approaches, analyzing dominant themes as they are developed across Ballanche's works, and charts Ballanche's complex relation of dependence and independence to the various intellectual currents of the period. This study clarifies the thought of a notoriously obscure thinker, illuminates the intellectual history of early nineteenth-century France, and demonstrates how Ballanche's project for religio-social regeneration effected a crucial step in the historical-mindedness of the Romantic period. ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS INTRODUCTION PART ONE. REVOLUTION AND THE LYON WORKS CHAPTER ONE: THE LYON TERROR AND THE EPOPEE LYONNAISE The Lyon Terror Epopée Lyonnaise CHAPTER TWO: FROM DU SENTIMENT TO ADIEUX A ROME Expiation and progress Revolution CHAPTER THREE: ANTIGONE Expiation Revolution and Restoration PART TWO. RESTORATION AND SOCIAL THOUGHT CHAPTER FOUR:THE 1818-1820 WORKS Ballanche and the Récamier salon THE 1818-182Ο WORKS CHAPTER FIVE: THE NATURE OF SOCIETY Basic assumptions about the nature of society The law of religious equality Legitimism CHAPTER SIX: THE CONTEMPORARY AGE OF CRISIS Revolution Restoration CHAPTER SEVEN: BALLANCHE AND RESTORATION POLITICAL LIFE Reception of 1818-1820 works Ballanche and Restoration historiography PART THREE. SOCIAL PAUNGENESIS CHAPTER EIGHT: ESSAIS DE PALINGENESIE SOCIALE The plan of Palingénésie sociale CHAPTER NINE: PALINGENESIS Palingénésie philosophique Natural history and the history of humanity Palingénésie sociale CHAPTER TEN: SOCIAL EVOLUTION The three ages of humanity The struggle of the two principles Ballanche and Vico CHAPTER ELEVEN: ILLUMINISM The Western Esoteric Tradition Ballanche and Illuminism Illuminist themes in Palingénésie sociale Identity of the Fall and rehabilitation Initiation Magnetism CHAPTER TWELVE: HISTORIOGRAPHY & MYTHOGRAPHY Myth, epic, history The historiographical Revolution Ballanche among the mythographers CHAPTER THIRTEEN: HISTORIOSOPHY Illuminism and history Historiosophy Anterior Christianity PART FOUR. JULY AND FAME CHAPTER FOURTEEN: THE SPHINX OF THE BARRICADES The Restoration betrayed July and social evolution Cassandra in Mycenae CHAPTER FIFTEEN: THE ΡΑRTI SOCIAL Liberal Catholics Poles and Pobnophiles Neo-Catholicism Saint-Simonism and its dissidents Fourierism and its dissidents The workers' circle Foreign reception The parti social CHAPTER SIXTEEN 1834 AND AFTER Crises of 1834 Beyond the parti social Religious humanitarianism Social romanticism Social Catholicism Polish philosophies of history Ecole lyonnaise CHAPTER SEVENTEEN THE THEODICY OF HISTORY A final synthesis Last years BIBLIOGRAPHY INDEX OF NAMES INDEX OF SUBJECTS This intellectual history study establishes Ballanche as an important figure in the intellectual life of early nineteenth-century France, and demonstrates how his religio-social project effected a critical step in the historical-mindedness of the Romantic period. By Arthur Mccalla. Includes Bibliographical References (p. [435]-450) And Indexes.