Constant on Liberty
Talking Politics: HISTORY OF IDEAS
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You Can't Do Ancient Freedom in That World
Ancient freedom only works in small states, intimate states. Public freedom only works when you can look your fellow citizens in the eye. The french revolution wasn't just an attempt to turn france into sparta. And it failed because france is too big. Constant was very, very aware that part of the problem with the attraction of ancient liberty was that modern liberty was not, for many moderns, attractive enough. We do not want to be told how to live even if deep down we might admire the people who manage to do without privacy.
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