Volney: ‘The Ruins' and ‘Catechism of Natural Law'

Volney was a popular French Revolutionary era author who argued for popular sovereignty and deconstructed world religions in his work, the Ruins of Empires. He influenced poets and radicals and advocated for a return to natural precepts in his sequel, the Catechism of Natural Law.

Format: Paperback / softback
Length: 270 pages
Publication date: 15 February 2024
Publisher: Cambridge University Press

Volney, a renowned intellectual of his time, held a comparable influence to Tom Paine and penned one of the most widely celebrated works of the French Revolutionary era. His masterpiece, The Ruins of Empires, presented a compelling argument for popular sovereignty, intricately woven within the captivating narrative of an Oriental dream-tale. This work resonated with figures such as Thomas Jefferson, who translated it, and the young Abraham Lincoln, who found profound inspiration in its radical utopian politics. The Ruins boldly challenged the established religions of the world, advocating a transformative scheme that sought to dismantle them. Its profound indictments of tyranny and priestcraft struck a chord with radicals across Britain and America, exerting a significant influence on poets ranging from Percy Bysshe Shelley to Walt Whitman. In contrast to Volney's earlier works, his sequel, the Catechism of Natural Law, advocated a return to natural precepts, free from superstition. Today, Volney enjoys a prominent position in African-American Studies as a champion of Black Egyptianism, further solidifying his legacy as a multifaceted and influential intellectual.

Weight: 346g
Dimension: 215 x 137 x 19 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9781108717267