Le Fanatisme des philosophes

work by Linguet

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June 26, 2026

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Le Fanatisme des philosophes (1764), translated as "The Fanaticism of the Philosophes," was a work by Simon-Nicolas-Henri Linguet. Linguet was a French journalist and lawyer known for his contrarian views. In this book, he launched a strong critique against the widely accepted doctrines of the Enlightenment.1

Linguet's work challenged the prevailing ideas of his time, arguing that free workers were worse off than slaves and that despotic regimes might offer better protection for the poor than European governments. His ideas influenced later thinkers, including those of the French Revolution and socialist thinkers like Karl Marx. Linguet's tendency to oppose popular opinions led to his exile, imprisonment, and ultimately, his execution by guillotine.1

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Simon-Nicolas-Henri Linguet
…than Alexander the Great, and Le Fanatisme des philosophes (1764; “The Fanaticism of the Philosophes”), a violent attack on the most widely held doctrines of the Enlightenment. In his Théorie des lois civiles (1767; “Civil Theory”) and subsequent works, he argued that free workers were worse off than slaves in…
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…than Alexander the Great, and Le Fanatisme des philosophes (1764; “The Fanaticism of the Philosophes”), a violent attack on the most widely held doctrines of the Enlightenment. In his Théorie des lois civiles (1767; “Civil Theory”) and subsequent works, he argued that free workers were worse off than slaves in…
Read More