Considerations on France Quotes

“A constitution that is made for all nations is made for none.”
― Joseph de Maistre, Considerations on France

“Now, there is no such thing as ‘man’ in this world. In my life I have seen Frenchmen, Italians, Russians, and so on. I even know, thanks to Montesquieu, that one can be Persian. But as for man, I declare I’ve never encountered him.”
― Joseph de Maistre, Considerations on France

“The whole earth, perpetually steeped in blood, is nothing but an immense altar on which every living thing must be sacrificed without end, without restraint, without respite until the consummation of the world, the extinction of evil, the death of death.”
― Joseph de Maistre, Considerations on France

“There is nothing but violence in the universe; but we are spoiled by the modem philosophy that tells us that all is good, whereas evil has tainted everything and that in a very real sense all is evil, since nothing is in its place. The keynote of the system of our creation has been lowered, and following the rules of harmony, all the others have been lowered proportionately. All creation groans, and tends with pain and effort towards another order of things.”
― Joseph de Maistre, Considerations on France

“You, masters of the earth – princes, kings, emperors, powerful majesties, invincible conquerors – simply try to make the people go on such-and-such a day each year to a given place to dance. I ask little of you, but I dare give you a solemn challenge to succeed, whereas the humblest missionary will succeed and be obeyed two thousand years after his death. Every year the people gather around some rustic temple in the name of St John, St Martin, St Benedict, etc.; they come, animated by a feverish and yet innocent eagerness; religion sanctifies their joy and the joy embellishes religion; they forget their troubles; on leaving they think of the pleasure that they will have on the same day the following year, and the date is set in their minds.
Beside this picture, put that of the masters of France, who have been invested with every power by an unprecedented revolution and who are unable to organize a simple holiday. They pour out money, they call all the arts to their assistance, and the citizens remain at home, taking notice of the call only to laugh at the organizers.”
― Joseph de Maistre, Considerations on France

“Qu’on rie des idées religieuses, ou qu’on les vénère, n’importe : elles ne forment pas moins, vraies ou fausses, la base unique de toutes les institutions durables.”
― Joseph de Maistre, Considerations on France

“il partageait avec un autre héros de la révolution le pouvoir d'agiter la multitude, sans avoir celui de la dominer, ce qui forme le véritable cachet de la médiocrité dans les troubles politiques.”
― Joseph de Maistre, Considérations sur la France