How One Man’s Moral Compass Sparked the Reign of Terror

Interested in moral philosophy? History? How about alternative histories? If any of those apply, you won’t want to miss this event!

Our own in-house historian and philosopher Spencer Boyd last spoke to us about one of the most important discussions on democracy in American history, and is now switching the scene to what may be the most fascinating moment leading to the French Revolution: the moment when Robespierre lit the fuse to begin the Reign of Terror. What was going on in Robespierre’s mind? What was his moral compass?

Many of us have been led to believe that this is just the way the French do revolution, compared to our more civilized American way. But did you know that if another, more popular, French statesman, Count Mirabeau, had lived a bit longer, he would have likely prevented not only the violent Reign of Terror, but ensured a peaceful transition of power to a British-style constitutional monarchy?

The beloved orator Mirabeau had the full respect and the ear of both the king and the people. When Mirabeau talked, people acted. Imagine the alternate reality if he had lived longer and France had transitioned peacefully to the constitutional monarchy he planned: no Reign of Terror, no Napoleon, an entirely different European history from there—and a different world history.

Robespierre had advocated for the voting and petition rights of all men. Why, once he was appointed to the Committee of Public Safety, did he decide these rights did not apply to his opponents? Why did they all need to die without trial? Spencer will dive into a deep comparison between the moral compass of these two men: Robespierre and Mirabeau.

This should also lead to an interesting discussion in which we all will have an opportunity to examine our own and the rest of the group’s moral compasses.

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Spencer Boyd
From Spencer: "Since my earliest childhood I’ve been fascinated by history and philosophy and studied works as best I could at that age, in college, before I switched to tech, I was only three courses away from a history degree, and the same for philosophy. I’ve long had a deep appreciation for these subjects and studied well before and long after my time at university. I fully plan on going back and finishing up those degrees.

"I continue to study philosophical material on a near daily basis and regularly sharpen my skills in the pursuit of knowledge and would love to share some of what I’ve seen."

See you Friday!
Fred Heeren

Afterwards: We'll continue our conversations over drinks and food at the Blue Moose.

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Come early between 6:45 and 6:55 p.m. to chat and make new friends before we get started. But be sure to join us by 6:55, if you can, so we can start right at 7:00.

All attendees are expected to follow the P&P Code of Conduct, so all can feel safe while we have a great time.

WANT MORE DISCUSSION, DURING THE WEEK?: Just a reminder that we can continue our discussion of this event (or anything else) on our P&P Discord server. Here's how to use it:

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- If you joined us on Discord earlier, find Provocateurs & Peacemakers at: discord.com