The Indirect Approach to Despotism
Usually, however, these gentlemen -- the reformers, the
legislators, and the writers on public affairs -- do not desire to
impose direct despotism upon mankind. Oh no, they are too moderate
and philanthropic for such direct action. Instead, they turn to the
law for this despotism, this absolutism, this omnipotence. They
desire only to make the laws.
To show the prevalence of this queer idea in France, I would need
to copy not only the entire works of Mably, Raynal, Rousseau, and
Fenelon -- plus long extracts from Bossuet and Montesquieu -- but also
the entire proceedings of the Convention. I shall do no such thing; I
merely refer the reader to them.