第10章 権力の源泉としての信条 n.4 - 狂信主義者の成功は短命に終わる
規模はもっと大きいが,フランス市民革命の歴史は,イングランド共和国(注:1649年のチャールズ一世の死刑執行後から1660年の王政復古までの間に行われた共和政体)の歴史と類似している。(即ち)そこには狂信主義があり,(狂信主義の)勝利があり,専制政治があり,(専制政治の)崩壊があり,反動があった。狂信主義に最も好意的なこの二つの実例においてさえ,狂信主義者の成功は短命であった(ことがわかる)。 |
Chapter X: Creeds as Sources of Power, n.3Another case of the apparent success of fanaticism is the victory of the Independents under Cromwell. But it may be questioned how much fanaticism had to do with Cromwell's achievements. In the contest with the King, Parliament won mainly because it held London and the Eastern Counties; both its man-power and its economic resources far exceeded those of the King. The Presbyterians -- as always happens with the moderates in a revolution -- were gradually thrust aside because they did not wholeheartedly desire victory. Cromwell himself, when he had achieved power, turned out to be a practical politician, anxious to make the best of a difficult situation; but he could not ignore the fanaticism of his followers, which was so unpopular as to lead, in the end, to the complete downfall of his party. It cannot be said that, in the long run, fanaticism did anything more to bring success to the English Independents than to their predecessors the Anabaptists of Münster.On a larger scale, the history of the French Revolution is analogous to that of the Commonwealth in England : fanaticism, victory, despotism, collapse, and reaction. Even in these two most favourable instances, the success of the fanatics was short-lived. |