Benjamin Constant

Benjamin Constant, Henri- Benjamin Constant de actually Rebecque ( born October 25, 1767 in Lausanne, † December 8, 1830 in Paris) was a francophone writer, liberal politician and political theorist Swiss origin, which in the French Revolution become problematic relationship between state power and individual examined. In 1802 he was sidelined by Napoleon, but was in 1815 invited him to write an amendment to the Constitution of France. Constant influenced by his ideas, inter alia, the November Uprising, the Greek revolution, the Liberal revolution in Portugal and the Belgian Revolution.

• 4.1 German transmission
• 4.2 Essais
• 4.3 Fiction
• 4.4 Letters to Wilfrid affair Regnault

Life and work

Childhood

The like so many francophone authors between literature and politics oscillating Benjamin Constant (his name in the literature and intellectual history ) was a descendant emigrated to Switzerland in the 16th century family of French Huguenots. His mother died soon after his birth, and he spent (which probably contributed to his later attachment disorders ) is a very unstable childhood and youth, first with his grandparents in Switzerland, and later as an appendage of his father, an apparently highly mobile professional officer, in Holland, the Switzerland, the then Austrian Brussels and in England, where he had seen better, sometimes worse tutor.

The younger years

At 15, he began studying law at the University of Erlangen, where he was in service with Sophie Caroline Marie of Brunswick- Wolfenbüttel. Three semesters later, when he had to leave the city because of an affair, he moved to Edinburgh. He also read a lot (including Claude Adrien Helvetius ) and began to write, but also fell the game and got into debt. In addition, he traveled often and had an early love affairs. 1786, he studied with a stay in Paris, the then widely read author Isabelle de Charrière ( 1740-1805 ) know, a married in Switzerland -born Dutch, which was to him a (initially probably not only Platonic ) motherly friend and on their remote estate Le Pontet at Colombier it often shorter or longer dwelt in the coming years.

In 1788 he was chamberlain at the court of Duke Karl II of Brunswick and married a year later, the maid of honor Wilhelmine von Cramm. He held it but not long out with her, often went on trips and eventually filed for divorce in order to have a relationship with another, also still married, but divorce consent Brunswick maid of honor, Charlotte von Hardenberg, he, however, until 1808, after several between received and fair with other women and in turn married a second marriage without the two thereafter were happy.

1794 Constant met in Switzerland and a half years older than Madame de Staël: It was the beginning of a long, nerve-wracking relationship for both sides, from the 1797 also has a daughter emerged ( Albertine ).

The mean time

1795, after the end of the reign of terror and the establishment of the Directory, Constant Mme de Staël accompanied to Paris and began to operate there as a highly respected political journalist and speaker. After the coup of Napoleon in 1799, he played as a member of the tribunate even an active role in the high politics before he was sidelined in 1802. Claude Fauriel was a frequent guest in the salons of Madame de Staël and Benjamin Constant.

Then he was again a lot, and others, and with Mme de Staël, whom he accompanied on parts of their trip to Germany in 1803 /04 and, after it had in 1802 a widow, to marry urged him while he left every now and again in favor of new and old lover finally, Charlotte von Hardenberg (see above) got married.

Its difficult psychological situation in this time of separation and the partner change reflects the 1806/ 07 wrote (but only 1817 printed ) novel Adolphe, whose indecisive fluctuating narrator Constant portrays itself visibly. In the same period (1807 /08 ) drops its transmission of Schiller's Wallenstein in French verse (printed 1808). Well in 1811 he began another autobiographical novel, Cécile, the fragment remained and was only rediscovered in 1951. Also in 1811 he began an autobiography entitled Ma Vie ( "My Life" ), but only got to the end of his youth and until 1907 from the estate as Le Cahier rouge ( "The Red Book" ) was printed.

To 1813, he was in Göttingen; 1814, when after the defeat of Napoleon, the old royal family of the Bourbons had returned and Louis XVIII. had ascended the throne, Constant published a plea for a constitutional monarchy. In 1815 he joined Napoleon, when he unexpectedly returned to power in March, and drew on his behalf during the reign of a hundred days of appendix to the Constitution of France. After the final defeat of Napoleon soon (June 18 ) at the Battle of Waterloo Constant had to leave France and spent a half year in England.

The later years

In 1817 he returned to Paris and in politics. He was elected to the new Chamber of Deputies and worked there several times re-elected, as feared parliament speaker and pamphleteer. At the same time, he wrote significant constitutional and constitutional theoretical writings and was with them to the cofounder of liberalism, ie the doctrine that the state should be as little as possible in the personal and especially involved the economic concerns of its citizens and must leave as much initiative and responsibility themselves. He and the monarch had to withdraw to the role of a neutral authority ( pouvoir neutre ).

A four-volume religious-scientific treatise, De la religion considérée dans sa source, ses formes et ses développements ( 1824-31 ), had begun to work as a young man at the Constant already has received little attention and was soon forgotten.

Reception

Despite his erratic lifestyle Constant wrote constantly: mostly historiographical and / or political science or political writings and articles. He owes his place in literary history, however, especially the successful story Adolphe (written 1806/ 07, not published until 1816). The narrative tells the story of a young man ( Adolphe ) who seduces a ten-year old woman ( Ellénore ), when he realizes that she too loves him very much and clings to him, trying to break away from her, but this is due to the many sacrifices they bring him, can not, but then again wants and drives them through his indecisive back and forth and his eventual rejection in illness and death. You obviously reflects an almost pathological disruption of the author himself between binding desires and fear of commitment and is especially likely inspired by his difficult situation between Mme de Staël and Charlotte von Hardenberg. The Adolphe considered as a first example and the pattern in the 19th century, developing psychological novel.

Works from the estate

In addition to the novel fragment Cécile and also unfinished autobiography published from the estate Constants its extensive, not really to publish certain diary ( Journal intime ) and its also very extensive correspondence with many correspondents.

The Constant's writings

German transmission

• Works. Edited by Axel Blaeschke and Lothar Gall. German by Eva Rechel - Mertens. 4 volumes. 1970ff. ( the relevant German plant collection. band 1-2 follows the Pléiade edition 1957)

Essays

• De la force du gouvernement actuel de la France et de la nécessité de s'y Rallier (1796 )
• In réactions politiques (1797 )
• Des effets de la Terreur (1797 )
• Fragments d' un ouvrage abandonné sur la possibilité d'une constitution républicaine dans un grand pays ( published in 1991 Aubier, written 1795-1810 )
• De l' esprit de conquête et de l' usurpation dans leurs rapports avec la civilization européenne (1814 )
• Réflexions sur les constitutions, la distribution of pouvoirs et les dans une our warranties monarchy Constitutionnelle (1814 )
• Principes de politique à tous les applicables gouvernements représentatifs (written 1806, published 1815)
• Mémoires sur les Cent Jours -
• Cours de politique Constitutionnelle (1818-1820)
• De la liberté des Anciens comparée à celle of the Modern ( célèbre en discours prononcé 1819)
• De la religion considérée dans sa source, ses formes et son développement (1824-1830)
• Appel aux Nations chrétiennes en faveur of Grecs. (1825 )
• Mélanges de littérature et de politique (1829 )
• You polythéisme romain considere dans ses rapports avec la philosophie et la religion grecque chrétienne ( 1833)

Fiction

• Adolphe (1816 ) (novel)
• Le Cahier rouge (1907 ) ( autobiography )
• Wallenstein (1808 ), transfer of Schiller's Wallenstein into French
• Cécile (1951 ) (novel fragment)

Letters to Wilfrid affair Regnault

• Lettre à M. Odillon - Barrot, avocat de la Cour de Cassation, sur l' affaire de Wilfrid Regnault, condamné à mort (1818, puis publié chez P. Plancher en 1819)
• Deuxième lettre à M. Odillon - Barrot, avocat de la Cour de Cassation, sur l' affaire de Wilfrid Regnault, condamné à mort (1818, puis publié chez P. Plancher en 1819)
• De l' appel de M. le marquis de calomnie de Blosseville, contre Wilfrid- Regnault (1818, puis publié chez P. Plancher en 1819)