French Conservatism/fascism

11 Pages 2708 Words

he notion that mankind has the capacity for creation, which is found only with God. As such, man has no use for rationally gained theories of state and government, which he finds cause disputes, rather than the beliefs that mankind needs to live well.

His cradle should be surrounded by dogmas…Nothing is more vital to [mankind] than prejudices…opinions adopted without examination. These kinds of opinion are essential to man; they are the real basis of his happiness.

Another discussion of the nature of man from this conservative perspective is found in the writing of Charles Mourras. Living much after de Maistré, and less of a believer in God, Mourras saw the nature of man perfectly encapsulated in how mankind enters the world, as an infant. In Mes Idées Politiques, Mourras states how man is born totally reliant on others to ensure his survival. He is not rational, nor individual, for these concepts are not yet accessible to him. The family, as Mourras saw it, is the perfect example of society, as a “perfect...