Benjamin Constant 1767 – 1830
Benjamin Constant (1767 – 1830) was a Swiss-French philosopher of the Modern era, associated with Political Philosophy.
Henri-Benjamin Constant de Rebecque was a Swiss-French political philosopher, novelist, and statesman and one of the founding theorists of modern liberalism. After an erratic early career and a long and famous association with Madame de Stael, he served in the French legislature under the Restoration and the July Monarchy. His Principles of Politics and his lecture The Liberty of the Ancients Compared with that of the Moderns drew the now classic distinction between political participation as the freedom of the ancients and the security of private enjoyments as the freedom of the moderns. His novel Adolphe is one of the great works of early French Romanticism.
Key facts
- Nationality
- Swiss-French
- Era
- Modern
- Movements
- Political Philosophy
Selected quotes
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Attributed to Benjamin Constant:
“The liberty of the ancients was the active sharing in collective sovereignty; the liberty of the moderns is the security of private enjoyments.”
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Attributed to Benjamin Constant:
“Modern man can no longer be a citizen in the ancient sense.”
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Attributed to Benjamin Constant:
“Government has no right except for the maintenance of order.”
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Attributed to Benjamin Constant:
“The variety of opinion is at least as necessary as the variety of bread.”
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Attributed to Benjamin Constant:
“Religion accompanies man through the storms of life.”
Benjamin Constant by topic
Frequently asked about Benjamin Constant
- When did Benjamin Constant live?
- Benjamin Constant was born in 1767 and died in 1830.
- Where was Benjamin Constant from?
- Benjamin Constant was a Swiss-French philosopher of the Modern era.
- What philosophical movements is Benjamin Constant associated with?
- Benjamin Constant was associated with Political Philosophy.
- What was Benjamin Constant known for?
- Henri-Benjamin Constant de Rebecque was a Swiss-French political philosopher, novelist, and statesman and one of the founding theorists of modern liberalism.
- How many quotes are attributed to Benjamin Constant?
- There are 11 attributed quotations from Benjamin Constant in the 1001Philosophers collection, organized by topic.