"Critical Miscellanies" by John Morley is a collection of insightful essays reflecting the writer's vital views on literature, politics, and society. Published inside the overdue nineteenth century, Morley's essays display his eager mind and extensive-ranging pursuits, offering readers a diverse and thought-frightening exploration of cutting-edge problems. Spanning subjects from literature and philosophy to political theory, Morley's essays have interaction with the intellectual currents of his time. His opinions delve into the works of extremely good figures together with Voltaire, Rousseau, and Byron, presenting readers with nuanced analyses that replicate Morley's personal liberal and rationalist viewpoints. The collection additionally features Morley's reflections on social and political issues, inclusive of discussions on democracy, schooling, and the function of the kingdom. His essays are characterized by means of a dedication to reason, development, and the betterment of society thru intellectual inquiry. John Morley, an outstanding Victorian statesman and guy of letters, employs eloquent prose and an intensity of ancient knowledge to present a compelling case for liberal thought and enlightenment ideals. "Critical Miscellanies" stands as a testament to Morley's contributions to the highbrow discourse of his generation, supplying readers a rich tapestry of vital insights into the cultural and political landscape of the past due nineteenth century.

Joseph de Maistre had no doubt that the root causes of the French Revolution were intellectual and ideological. The degeneration of its first immense hopes into the Reign of Terror was not the result of a ruthless competition for power or of prospects of war. He echoed Voltaire's boast that "books did it all." The philosophers of the Enlightenment were the architects of the new regimes; and the shadow between revolutionary idea and social reality could be traced directly to a fatal flaw in their thought.De Maistre asserts that society is the product, not of men's conscious decision, but of their instinctive makeup. Both history and primitive societies illustrate men's gravitation toward some form of communal life. Since government is in this sense natural, it can not legitimately be denied, revoked, or even disobeyed by the people. Sovereignty is not the product of the deliberation or the will of the people; it is a divinely bestowed authority fitted not to man's wishes but to his needs.The French Revolution to de Maistre's mind was little more than the expansion, conversion, pride, and consequent moral corruption of the philosophers. It differs in essence from all previous political revolutions, finding a parallel only in the biblical revolt against heaven. These sentiments are the passionate and awe-inspired language of one who sees the political struggles of his time on a huge and cosmic scale, judges events sub specie aeternitatis (under the aspect of eternity), and looks on revolution and counter-revolution as a battle for the soul of humanity. The force of this classic volume still resonates in present-day ideological struggles.