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Without Marx or Jesus
IH paperback.
Paperback
First published January 1, 1970
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About the author
Jean-François Revel
82 books106 followersJean-François Revel was a French politician, journalist, author, prolific philosopher and member of the Académie française since June 1998.
He was best known for his books Without Marx or Jesus: The New American Revolution Has Begun, The Flight from Truth : The Reign of Deceit in the Age of Information and his 2002 book Anti-Americanism, one year after the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks. In the latter book, Revel criticised those Europeans who argued that the United States had brought about the terrorist attacks upon itself through misguided foreign policies. He wrote thus: "Obsessed by their hatred and floundering in illogicality, these dupes forget that the United States, acting in her own self-interest, is also acting in the interest of us Europeans and in the interests of many other countries, threatened, or already subverted and ruined, by terrorism." In 1975 he delivered the Huizinga Lecture in Leiden, The Netherlands, under the title: La tentation totalitaire (The Totalitarian Temptation).
He was best known for his books Without Marx or Jesus: The New American Revolution Has Begun, The Flight from Truth : The Reign of Deceit in the Age of Information and his 2002 book Anti-Americanism, one year after the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks. In the latter book, Revel criticised those Europeans who argued that the United States had brought about the terrorist attacks upon itself through misguided foreign policies. He wrote thus: "Obsessed by their hatred and floundering in illogicality, these dupes forget that the United States, acting in her own self-interest, is also acting in the interest of us Europeans and in the interests of many other countries, threatened, or already subverted and ruined, by terrorism." In 1975 he delivered the Huizinga Lecture in Leiden, The Netherlands, under the title: La tentation totalitaire (The Totalitarian Temptation).
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Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews
February 17, 2022
Interesting for its view of a hopeful moment in time.
Revel contrasts the state of the left in France with that of America, and sees all the ingredients for a successful revolution are there, and only there. Though I’m never sure exactly what he means by revolution.
There’s an optimistic naivety that permeates the book, but unfortunately for Revel, it’s written at a watershed in history, only just predating Watergate, Reaganism, and the subsequent erosion of the welfare state and the growth in inequality. To mention nothing of the response to 9/11, Trump, etc.
Revel contrasts the state of the left in France with that of America, and sees all the ingredients for a successful revolution are there, and only there. Though I’m never sure exactly what he means by revolution.
There’s an optimistic naivety that permeates the book, but unfortunately for Revel, it’s written at a watershed in history, only just predating Watergate, Reaganism, and the subsequent erosion of the welfare state and the growth in inequality. To mention nothing of the response to 9/11, Trump, etc.
July 26, 2020
Everyone seems to find this a weird book
"A socialist until the late 1960s, Revel was a speechwriter for socialist President François Mitterrand and ran as a socialist candidate in parliamentary elections in 1967 but lost."
"During the Cold War, Revel was known as a champion of classical liberal values such as liberty and democracy at a time when many pre-eminent European intellectuals praised Communism or Maoism."
That should clarify 1% of his weirdness
In his later writings, people have compared his views matching up with Huntingon once in a blue moon
"The French political philosopher Jean-François Revel, the American political scientist Samuel P. Huntington, and many others have questioned whether (the dominant faith of the Arabs), particularly in the lands touched by Arab civilisation, is compatible with democracy."
"A socialist until the late 1960s, Revel was a speechwriter for socialist President François Mitterrand and ran as a socialist candidate in parliamentary elections in 1967 but lost."
"During the Cold War, Revel was known as a champion of classical liberal values such as liberty and democracy at a time when many pre-eminent European intellectuals praised Communism or Maoism."
That should clarify 1% of his weirdness
In his later writings, people have compared his views matching up with Huntingon once in a blue moon
"The French political philosopher Jean-François Revel, the American political scientist Samuel P. Huntington, and many others have questioned whether (the dominant faith of the Arabs), particularly in the lands touched by Arab civilisation, is compatible with democracy."
January 24, 2022
Todo poder é ou se torna de direita. Só o faz de esquerda o controle que se exerce sobre ele. E sem liberdade, não há controle.
O autor sustenta, com exemplos significativos, que as manifestações mais importantes de rebeldia social e intelectual no mundo contemporâneo se deram às margens dos partidos de esquerda e não aconteceram nos países socialistas, mas no berço do capitalismo, Estados Unidos e a Grã-Bretanha.
Revel diz que a explicação para a crise da esquerda no mundo é que ela perdeu a prática da liberdade, e não só por culpa da repressão que o adversário lhe infligia, mas também por ter adotado a convicção suicida de que a eficácia é compatível com ela.
Vale a pena ler: para quem ainda acredita que exista uma força de esquerda e uma de direita.
O autor sustenta, com exemplos significativos, que as manifestações mais importantes de rebeldia social e intelectual no mundo contemporâneo se deram às margens dos partidos de esquerda e não aconteceram nos países socialistas, mas no berço do capitalismo, Estados Unidos e a Grã-Bretanha.
Revel diz que a explicação para a crise da esquerda no mundo é que ela perdeu a prática da liberdade, e não só por culpa da repressão que o adversário lhe infligia, mas também por ter adotado a convicção suicida de que a eficácia é compatível com ela.
Vale a pena ler: para quem ainda acredita que exista uma força de esquerda e uma de direita.
January 8, 2019
Okay, this book has nothing to do with what the world would be like without Marx or Jesus. Its main focus is how the next revolution will occur and how it can only occur in the United States. It gives the history of revolutions throughout history and what caused them. I will read more from this author.
November 5, 2021
Es uno de mis libros predilectos sobre filosofía. Retrata la ideología completamente radical del gran pensador Jean-Francois Revel.
Leer este libro debe tener el mismo impacto que recibir un proyectil en la sien. Es abrumador, directo, sin eufemismos. Es un arma, un arma genial y peligrosa para algunxs sectores.
Leer este libro debe tener el mismo impacto que recibir un proyectil en la sien. Es abrumador, directo, sin eufemismos. Es un arma, un arma genial y peligrosa para algunxs sectores.
November 3, 2018
En este ensayo provocador y esclarecedor de 1970, Jean-François Revel (1924-2006) sostiene que la auténtica revolución tendrá lugar en los Estados Unidos de América. Interesante y sacudidor de conciencias.
June 5, 2025
Цікавий та оригінальній погляд на питання змін у світі і хто їх має ініціювати. Погляд на кінець 70-х рр., тому сьогодні досить фантастичний. Але автор цього не знає.
Ставлю міцну 3 - лише через ерудицію автора.
Ставлю міцну 3 - лише через ерудицію автора.
August 11, 2018
Une parfaite analyse...
February 28, 2017
One of the first books I read by Revel, Awesome doesn't give it enough accolades
February 5, 2017
This is a weird book, maybe interesting for its historical value, but not a whole lot else. Who could expect otherwise from a 45-year-old book subtitled "The New American Revolution Has Begun"? Revel argues that the conditions of the 1960s-1970s in America suggest that the U.S.A. is in the best position to initiate the "second world revolution"; that is, unifying the entire world under one government. That's not to say that America takes over the world, as Revel is at least somewhat nuanced in his usage of "revolution." But he also argues that television and other mass media could be a driver of the revolution as people are increasingly connected by "information," not "propaganda." As of 2016: so much for that. Overall, an overly optimistic anachronism.
March 1, 2013
I remember reading this for some poli-sci class in college and thinking, what a bunch of shit.
The forty-odd years since have resulted in Jesus elbowing his way onto the public square and the brutal, stupid Austrian School of economics triumphant in the marketplace. We could use a man like Karl Marx again.
The forty-odd years since have resulted in Jesus elbowing his way onto the public square and the brutal, stupid Austrian School of economics triumphant in the marketplace. We could use a man like Karl Marx again.
January 2, 2024
esse livro é muito engraçado
Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews