New Books in Critical Theory Dan Edelstein, "The Revolution to Come: A History of an Idea from Thucydides to Lenin" (Princeton UP, 2025)
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Dec 10, 2025 Dan Edelstein, the William H. Bonsall Professor of French at Stanford University, explores the intricate history of revolution in his latest work. He discusses how ancient thinkers like Thucydides viewed revolutions as chaotic threats to stability. The podcast delves into the Enlightenment's shift towards seeing revolutions as necessary for progress, with Edelstein highlighting the complexities of modern uprisings and their violent outcomes. He also addresses America's vulnerability to revolution and the delicate balance between reform and stability in today's political landscape.
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Classical Fear Of Revolution
- Classical thinkers framed revolution as catastrophic upheaval that destroys civic norms and trust.
- They saw history as cyclical, so the political aim was building durable constitutions that prevent change.
British Revolutions Were Largely Conservative
- 17th-century British and American revolutions aimed largely to restore or preserve constitutional order rather than create a new progressive future.
- The U.S. Constitution draws heavily on the classical model of balanced institutions and checks derived from Polybius translations.
Progress Belief Breeds Revolutionary Intolerance
- Belief in inevitable historical progress creates an illusion of unanimous agreement about the right path.
- That illusion fuels suspicion, purges, and violence against fellow revolutionaries when consensus fails.
