Description
Benjamin Constant was an activist, writer, and political thinker whose most well known works include “The Liberty of Ancients Compared with that of the Moderns,” his most famous speech and a foundation text in political philosophy; Adolphe, a foundational story in Romanticism and widely considered one of literature’s first psychological novels; and Le cahier rouge, a semi-fictionalized autobiographical novel that details Constant’s various personal struggles. Across all of his various writings, Constant was famous for his relentless psychological analysis and logical precision, establishing as a pioneer for both philosophy and literature.
Constant was born in 1767 to the Constant de Rebecque family, who were descendants of the French Huguenots who had fled to Switzerland during the French Wars of Religion. He was member of the French Chamber of Deputies (representing various districts like Paris and Sarthe), he became a primary leader of the liberal parliamentary bloc (les indépendants). He served in Napoleon’s Tribunate (1799–1802) before being ousted for his open opposition to Napoleon’s authoritarian consolidation of power. Ironically, during Napoleon’s brief return to power in 1815 (the Hundred Days), Constant reconciled with him and famously helped draft the Acte additionnel, an imperial constitution meant to turn France into a modern constitutional monarchy. He was also known to have a high-profile romantic and intellectual relationship with Madame de Staël, who was a writer and philosopher in her own right.
