Critical Miscellanies (Vol. 2 of 3), Essay 2: Turgot

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Gutenberg ID

22865

Title

Critical Miscellanies (Vol. 2 of 3), Essay 2: Turgot

Language

en

Book source

Project Gutenberg

Description max 80 words

John Morley's biographical essay on Anne-Robert-Jacques Turgot, a French economist and statesman whose life bridged the Enlightenment and the French Revolution. This text explores Turgot's intellectual evolution, his progressive economic reforms as Intendant and Controller-General, and his tragic dismissal. Morley presents Turgot as a figure of supreme justice and benevolence, whose rational approach to governance and deep compassion for the suffering populace set him apart from his contemporaries, ultimately foreshadowing the revolutionary upheaval that followed his death.

Summary up to 500 words

In his critical biography of Anne-Robert-Jacques Turgot, John Morley examines the life and thought of this pivotal figure in French history, whose career spanned the crucial half-century leading to the Revolution. Born in 1727, Turgot was a Norman nobleman of secondary noblesse who inherited a tradition of public spirit. His early education at the Sorbonne revealed a precocious intellect influenced by Locke, characterized by profound benevolence and a unique dignity that earned him respect despite his shy, awkward nature. Morley contrasts Turgot's scientific, progressive view of history with the theological approaches of Bossuet and the general classifications of Montesquieu and Voltaire. Turgot viewed history as an ordered succession of social states driven by the progress of the human mind and knowledge, rejecting the idea that morality is a fixed quantity. Morley details Turgot's administrative career, beginning with his appointment as Intendant of the Limousin. There, he implemented enlightened reforms: abolishing the hated Taille tax, ending the corvée (forced labor) on roads, introducing the potato to combat famine, and encouraging manufacturing. He founded an academy and advocated for free trade and the abolition of usury. His tenure was marked by a fierce passion for good government and a refusal to compromise on principles of justice, even when facing unpopularity. As Controller-General, his reforms were short-lived, lasting only twenty months before his dismissal in May 1776. Morley highlights the tragic irony that his dismissal was greeted with joy by the public and his political opponents, while his friends like Voltaire and Condorcet were dismayed. The text concludes by reflecting on Turgot's character: a man of exact rationality who refused to be swayed by passion or prejudice, whose perfection made him an object of envy. Morley argues that Turgot's life was a testament to the power of reason and justice, and his fall signaled the end of the monarchy's ability to reform itself, paving the way for the Revolution.

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Categories

• Philosophy
• Biography
• Politics