,MISAN?ROPIC ,PESSIMISM 

#aiad 

,PEOPLE 3 

,AU?OR 3 ,GEORGES ,PALANTE 

,TEXT 3 

,! PESSIMISM WE WANT TO /UDY N[ IS ?AT :I* WE HAVE CALL$ MISAN?ROPIC PESSIMISM4 ,?IS PESSIMISM DOESN'T PROCE$ FROM AN EXASP]AT$ & SUFF]+ S5SIBILITY1 BUT FROM A LUCID 9TELLIG5CE EX]CIS+ ITS CRITICAL CLE>-SI<T$NESS ON ! EVIL SIDE ( \R SPECIES4 ,MISAN?ROPIC PESSIMISM APPE>S 9 ITS GR& L9ES AS A !ORY ( UNIV]SAL FRAUD & UNIV]SAL IMBECILITY2 ( UNIV]SAL NANALITY & UNIV]SAL TURPITUDE4 ,AS ! PITILESS PA9T+ ( A WORLD PEOPL$ ) CRET9S & SW9DL]S1 ( N9NIES & FOOLS4 

,! *>ACT] ( ?IS PESSIMISM APPE>S AS A UNIV]SAL COLDNESS1 A WILL$ IMPASSIBILITY1 AN ABS5CE ( S5TIM5TALISM ?AT DI/+UI%ES IT FROM ROMANTIC PESSIMISM1 EV] 9CL9$ TO DESPAIR OR REVOLT4 ,! MUTE DESPAIR ( ,VIGNY IS MORE PA!TIC ?AN A CRY ( PA94 ,9 ,/IRN] WE F9D FRANTIC ACC5TS ( REVOLT1 :ILE 9 ,S*OP5HAU] WE F9D A TRAGIC S5TIM5T ( ! WORLD'S PA9 & A DESPAIR+ APPEAL TO ! VOID4 ,AS = ! MISAN?ROPIC PESSIMI/1 HE MAKES NO COMPLA9TS4 ,HE DOESN'T TAKE ! HUMAN CONDITION AS TRAGIC1 HE DOESN'T RISE UP AGA9/ DE/9Y4 ,HE OBS]VES HIS CONTEMPOR>IES ) CURIOSITY1 PITILESSLY ANALYZES !IR S5TIM5TS & ?\<TS & IS AMUS$ BY !IR PRESUMPTION1 !IR VANITY1 !IR HYPOCRISY1 OR !IR UNCONSCI\S VILLA9Y1 BY !IR 9TELLECTUAL & MORAL WEAKNESS4 ,IT IS NO LONG] HUMAN PA91 IT IS NO LONG] ! SICKNESS ( LIV+ ?AT =MS ! !ME ( ?IS PESSIMISM1 BUT RA!R HUMAN VILLA9Y & /UPIDITY4 ,ONE ( ! PREF]R$ LEITMOTIVS ( ?IS PESSIMISM C\LD BE ?IS WELL-KN[N V]SE3 0,! MO/ FOOLI% ANIMAL IS MAN40 

,! FOOLI%NESS ?AT ?IS PESSIMISM P>TICUL>LY TAKES AIM AT IS ?AT PRESUMPTU\S & PRET5TI\S FOOLI%NESS ?AT WE CAN CALL DOGMATIC FOOLI%NESS1 ?AT SOLEMN & DESPOTIC FOOLI%NESS ?AT SPREADS ITSELF ACROSS SOCIAL DOGMAS & RITES1 ACROSS PUBLIC OP9ION & MORES1 :I* MAKES ITSELF DIV9E & REVEALS 9 ITS VIEWS ON ET]NITY A HUNDR$ PETTY & RIDICUL\S PREJUDICES4 ,:ILE ROMANTIC PESSIMISM PROCE$S FROM ! ABILITY TO SUFF] & CURSE1 MISAN?ROPIC PESSIMISM PROCE$S FROM ! FACULTY TO UND]/& & TO SCORN4 ,IT IS A PESSIMISM ( ! 9TELLECTUAL1 IRONIC1 & DISDA9FUL OBS]V]4 ,HE PREF]S ! TONE ( P]SIFLAGE TO ! M9OR & TRAGIC TONE4 ,A ,SWIFT SYMBOLIZ+ ! VANITY ( HUMAN QU>RELS 9 ! CRUSADE ( ! ,BIG-5DIANS & ! ,LITTLE-5DIANS1 A ,VOLTAIRE MOCK+ ! METAPHYSICAL FOOLI%NESS ( ,PANGLOSS & ! SILLY NAIVETE ( ,C&IDE2 A ,B5JAM9 ,CON/ANT CONSIGN+ TO ! ,R$ ,NOTEBOOK & ! ,J\RNAL ,9TIME HIS EPIGRAMMATIC REM>KS ON HUMANITY & SOCIETY2 A ,/5DHAL1 :OSE ,J\RNAL & ,VIE DE ,H5RI ,BRUL>D CONTA9 SO MANY MISAN?ROPIC OBS]VATIONS ON HIS FAMILY1 HIS RELATIONS1 HIS *IEFS1 HIS 5T\RAGE2 A ,M]IMEE1 FRI5D & EMULATOR ( ,/5DHAL 9 ! IRONIC OBS]VATION ( HUMAN NATURE2 A ,FLAUB]T ATTACK+ ! IMBECILITY ( HIS PUPPETS ,FR$]IC ,M\REAU & ,B\V>D & ( ,PECU*ET2 A ,TA9E 9 0,?OMAS ,GRA9DORGE20 A ,*ALLEMEL-,LAC\R 9 HIS ,REFLEXIONS D'UN PESSIMI/E CAN ALL BE TAK5 AS ! REPRES5TATIVE TYPES ( ?IS HAU<TY1 SMIL+1 & CONTEMPTU\S PESSIMI/IC WISDOM4 

,9 TRU?1 ?IS PESSIMISM ISN'T =EIGN TO A FEW ( ! ?9K]S WE HAVE CLASS$ UND] ! RUBRIC ( ROMANTIC PESSIMISM1 = ! DIFF]5T TYPES ( PESSIMISM HAVE PO9TS ( CONTACT & P5ETRATION4 ,A ,S*OP5HAU]1 A ,/IRN] HAVE ALSO EX]CIS$ !IR IRONIC V]VE ON HUMAN FOOLI%NESS1 PRESUMPTION & CR$ULITY4 ,BUT 9 !M MISAN?ROPIC PESSIMISM CAN'T BE F\ND 9 ITS PURE /ATE4 ,IT REMA9S SUBORD9AT$ TO ! PESSIMISM ( SUFF]+1 ( DESPAIR OR ( REVOLT1 TO ! S5TIM5TAL PA?OS ?AT IS ! *>ACT]I/IC TRAIT ( ROMANTIC PESSIMISM4 ,MISAN?ROPIC PESSIMISM C\LD P]HAPS BE CALL$ REALI/IC PESSIMISM3 9 FACT1 9 MORE ?AN ONE ( ITS REPRES5TATIVES 7,/5DHAL1 ,FLAUB]T7 IT PROCE$S FROM ?AT SPIRIT ( EXACT1 DETAIL$ & PITILESS OBS]VATION1 FROM ! CONC]N = OBJECTIVITY & IMPASSIVITY ?AT FIGURE AMONG ! *>ACT]I/IC TRAITS ( ! REALI/ ES!TIC4 ,DOES MISAN?ROPIC PESSIMISM CONFIRM ! !SIS ACCORD+ TO :I* PESSIMISM T5DS TO 5G5D] 9DIVIDUALISM8 ,?IS IS NOT C]TA94 ,AMONG ! ?9K]S WE JU/ CIT$ !RE >E C]TA9LY SOME :O NEI!R CONCEIV$1 NOR PRACTIC$1 NOR RECOMM5D$ ! ATTITUDE ( VOLUNT>Y ISOLATION ?AT IS 9DIVIDUALISM4 ,?\< !Y HAD NO ILLUSIONS AB\T M5 !Y DID NOT FLEE !IR SOCIETY4 ,!Y DIDN'T HOLD !M AT A DISDA9FUL DI/ANCE4 ,!Y ACCEPT$ TO MIX ) !M1 TO LIVE !IR LIVES 9 !IR MID/4 ,VOLTAIRE WAS SOCIABILITY 9C>NATE4 ,SWIFT1 A H>% MAN ( AMBITION HAD NO?+ ( ! SOLIT>Y NATURE ( ,OB]MANN & ,VIGNY4 ,BUT !RE >E SEV]AL AMONG ! MISAN?ROPIC PESSIMI/S WE JU/ CIT$1 P>TICUL>LY ,FLAUB]T & ,TA9E1 :O PRACTIC$1 !ORIZ$1 & RECOMM5D$ 9TELLECTUAL ISOLATION1 ! RETREAT ( ?\<T 9TO ITSELF AS ! SOLE POSSIBLE ATTITUDE = A MAN HAV+ ANY K9D ( REF9EM5T ( ?\<T & NOBILITY ( S\L 9 ?IS WORLD ( M$IOCRITY & BANALITY 

,FLAUB]T1 HAUNT$ BY ! SPECT] ( 0/UPIDITY ) A ?\S& FACES0 F9DS IT :]EV] HE LOOKS4 ,HE SEEKS REFUGE AGA9/ IT 9 ! PURE JOYS ( >T & CONTEMPLATION4 ,HE SAID3 0,I UND]/OOD ONE GREAT ?+3 IT'S ?AT = ! M5 ( \R RACE HAPP9ESS IS 9 ! IDEA & NO:]E ELSE40 0,:]E DOES Y\R WEAKNESS COME =M80 HE WROTE TO A FRI5D4 0,IS IT BECAUSE Y\ KN[ MAN8 ,:AT DIFF]5CE DOES IT MAKE8 ,CAN'T Y\1 9 ?\<T1 E/ABLI% ?AT SUP]B L9E ( 9T]IOR DEF5SE ?AT KEEPS Y\ AN OCEAN'S WID? FROM Y\R NEI<BOR80 

,TO A CORRESPOND5T :O COMPLA9S ( WORRY & DISGU/ ) ALL ?+S3 0,!RE IS A S5TIM5T10 HE WRITES10 OR RA!R A HABIT ?AT Y\ SEEM TO BE LACK+1 TO WIT1 ! LOVE ( CONTEMPLATION4 ,TAKE LIFE1 ! PASSIONS1 & Y\RSELF AS SUBJECTS = 9TELLECTUAL EX]CISES40 ,& AGA93 0,SKEPTICISM WILL HAVE NO?+ ( ! BITT]1 = IT WILL SEEM ?AT Y\ >E AT HUMANITY'S COM$Y & IT WILL SEEM TO Y\ ?AT HI/ORY CROSSES ! WORLD = Y\ ALONE40 

,TA9E WAS L$ BY HIS MISAN?ROPIC VISION ( HUMANITY TO A /OIC & ASCETIC CONCEPTION ( LIFE1 TO LOOK+ ON ! 9TELLIG5CE AS ! SUPREME ASYLUM 9 :I* TO ISOLATE HIMSELF1 TO DEF5D HIMSELF FROM UNIV]SAL WICK$NESS1 UNIV]SAL /UPIDITY1 & UNIV]SAL BANALITY4 ,A S+UL> ANALOGY UNITES ,TA9E TO ,FLAUB]T4 ,TA9E ASKS ( SCI5TIFIC ANALYSIS :AT ,FLAUB]T ASKS ( >T & CONTEMPLATION3 AN 9TELLECTUAL ALIBI1 A MEANS ( ESCAPE FROM ! REALITIES ( ! SOCIAL MILIEU4 

,?IS D$UCTION IS LOGICAL4 ,MISAN?ROPIC PESSIMISM SUPPOSES OR 5G5D]S CONTEMPLATIVE ISOLATION4 ,9 ORD] TO 9TELLECTUALLY DESPISE M5 ONE MU/ SEP>ATE ONESELF FROM !M1 SEE !M FROM A DI/ANCE4 ,ONE MU/ HAVE LEFT ! H]D1 HAVE >RIV$ AT ,DESC>TES' ATTITUDE :I* 0LIVES 9 ! MID/ ( M5 LIKE AMID ! TREES 9 A =E/40 ,:E!R WE WI% IT OR NOT1 !RE IS H]E A !ORETICAL ISOLATION1 A K9D ( 9TELLECTUAL SOLIPSISM1 ! 9DIFF]5CE ( AN >I/OCRAT & A DILETTANTE :O 0DETA*ES HIMSELF FROM ALL 9 ORD] TO ROAM EV]Y:]E40 7,TA9E7 

,LET US ADD ?AT ! CLE>-SI<T$NESS ( ! MISAN?ROPIC 9TELLECTUAL HAS1 9 & ( ITSELF1 SOME?+ ANTISOCIAL AB\T IT4 ,TO TAKE AS ! !ME = ONE'S IRONY ! COMMON & AV]AGE HUMAN /UPIDITY MEANS TREAT+ )\T RESPECT A SOCIAL VALUE ( ! FIR/ ORD]4 ,/UPIDITY IS ! /UFF ( ! PREJUDICES )\T :I* NO SOCIAL LIFE IS POSSIBLE4 ,IT IS ! CEM5T ( ! SOCIAL $IFICE4 0,/UPIDITY10 SAID ,DR4 ,ANATOLE ,FRANCE'S ,TRUBLET1 0IS ! FIR/ GOOD ( AN ORD]$ SOCIETY40 ,SOCIAL CONV5TIONS ONLY SURVIVE ?ANKS TO A G5]AL /UPIDITY ?AT 5VELOPS1 SUPPORTS1 GU>ANTEES1 PROTECTS1 & CONSECRATES ! /UPIDITY ( 9DIVIDUALS4 ,?IS IS :Y CRITICAL1 IRONIC1 & PESSIMI/IC 9TELLIG5CE IS A SOCIAL DISSOLV5T4 ,IT IS IRREV]5T T[>DS ?AT :I* IS SOCIALLY RESPECTABLE3 M$IOCRITY & /UPIDITY4 ,IT ATTACKS RESPECT & CR$ULITY1 ! CONS]VATIVE ELEM5TS ( SOCIETY4 

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