Revolutionary Ideas

Explore the intellectual history of the French Revolution with Revolutionary Ideas. Author Jonathan Israel argues that the Revolution was primarily shaped by the radical ideas of the Enlightenment, despite recent theories claiming otherwise. By drawing on primary sources, Israel illustrates how these ideas sparked clashes among revolutionary leaders, ultimately driving the turning points of the Revolution. Discover how the ideals of liberty and democracy ultimately led to the Revolution, and how its violent end was a betrayal of those very ideas.