What political system did Joseph de Maistre want to restore in France?

Joseph de Maistre sought to restore a system of hereditary and absolute monarchy in France, characterized by the slogan "Throne and altar."12

Rather than seeking a return to the exact conditions of the pre-revolutionary ancien régime, Maistre envisioned a monarchy that was more deeply religious and authoritative than the one that existed before the French Revolution. His political philosophy was rooted in the belief that human beings are inherently prone to disorder and evil, necessitating a rigid social structure maintained by the absolute authority of the sovereign and the pope, supported by the priests and the public executioner.21

While the Bourbon Restoration following 1815 attempted to implement a modified version of this traditional order, Maistre’s reactionary approach—often contrasted with the more evolutionary, constitutionalist conservatism of Edmund Burke—ultimately sought to replace the revolutionary ideals of liberty and equality with a return to traditional, hierarchical authority.2