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Emmanuel Mounier: A Catholic of the Left

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  05 August 2009

Donald Wolf S.J.
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Extract

France today is dominated by the overpowering force of the personality of Charles de Gaulle. In his recent address to the Algerian rebels, de Gaulle was not far wrong in his claim, “I am France.” The French people have called upon de Gaulle to solve the political problems of the nation. He has been given an almost unlimited power to use his own discretion in seeking solutions. The results have ranged from a new Algerian policy to the detonation of atom bombs and the visit of Khrushchev. Despite what one may feel about de Gaulle there can be no doubt that he has given new prestige to a mortally sick France.It was for this reason that he was so little content with the existing party structure of France. It is quite easy to criticize these convictions as illusions. But Mounier had no delusions about the Communist Party. And anyone who agrees with him about the capitalist system which he experienced in France can understand the agonizing dilemma in which he was placed. He chose what in his mind was a path between the two horns of that dilemma.

Type
Research Article
Information
The Review of Politics , Volume 22 , Issue 3 , July 1960 , pp. 324 - 344
Copyright
Copyright © University of Notre Dame 1960

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References

1 See Fogarty, Michael, Christian Democracy in Western Europe, 1820–1953 (Notre Dame, 1957)Google Scholar and Biton, Louis, La démocratie chrétienne dans la politique française (Angers, 1954)Google Scholar.

2 See White, Theodore H., “New Force in Europe: The Catholic Left,” The Reporter, VII (09 16, 1952), 5–9Google Scholar. The mistake is made here of grouping together elements of the Catholic Left which were quite different and even contradictory.

3 See de Balla, Borisz, “The Marxist Influence in Catholic France,” Catholic Mind, CLXXVI (03, 1953), 411–12Google Scholar.

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5 de Balla, , op. cit., p. 412Google Scholar.

6 Cassidy, Sally Whelan, “The Catholic Revival,” Catholic World, CLXXI (05, 1950), 138Google Scholar. Mounier died suddenly in 1950 at the age of 45.

7 See Copleston, Frederick C., “Mounier, Marxism and Man,” The Month, New series VI (10, 1951), 200Google Scholar, and Langdale, Eugene, “Emmanuel Mounier,” The Dublin Review, CCXXIV (Third Quarter, 1950), 98–100Google Scholar.

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9 See the Foreword by Leslie Paul in Mounier, Emmanuel, Be Not Afraid: Studies in Personalist Sociology, trans. Rowland, Cynthia (London: Rockliff, 1951)Google Scholar, v-xxiv for a short account of his life.

10 See Baudouin, Charles, “Quelques aspects nouveaux du problème de la personne,” Revue Philosophique de la France et de l'Étranger, CXXVI (10, 1951), 199–208Google Scholar where Mounier is placed in the larger context of philosophies emphasizing the importance of the person.

11 This is especially true of existentialism. The many similarities can be seen in Mounier, Emmanuel, Introduction aux existentialismes (Paris, 1947)Google Scholar. This appeared originally as a series of articles in Esprit from April to October, 1946.

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13 See Mounier, Emmanuel, Traité du caractère (Paris, 1946)Google Scholar for an exhaustive examination of the psychology behind the position of the importance of the person.

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21 The same basic program had been advocated earlier in discussing the problem from the point of view of private property. Mounier, EmmanuelDe la propriété capitaliste à la propriété humaine. (Paris, 1936), p. 118Google Scholar.

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26 Mounier, Emmanuel, “The Structures of Liberation,” The Commonweal, XLII (05 18, 1945), 112Google Scholar.

27 This will form a great problem for Mounier since the labor union force was organized in the communist C.G.T.

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29 Mounier, Emmanuel, “France in the Catacombs,” The Commonweal, XLII (05 11, 1945), 36Google Scholar.

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32 It is well to remember that Mounier was himself a member of the resistance movement in Lyon.

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38 At the time of the formulation of the new constitution Mounier campaigned vigorously for a new Bill of Rights which would express the new needs of France. He objected to the final form of the Bill of Rights on the ground that “c'est une Déclaration de 1'âge liberal.…” Mounier, Emmanuel, “La dégradation des droits,” Esprit, XIV, No. 121 (04, 1946), 679Google Scholar. His positive position can be found in Mounier, Emmanuel, “Faut-il refaire la Déclaration des Droits?” Esprit, XIII, No. 109 (04, 1945), 696–708Google Scholar; XIII, No. 110 (Mai, 1945), 850–56. This was the only constitutional issue he treated specifically, but the similarities between the constitution of the Third Republic and that of the Fourth indicates what he must have thought about the latter.

39 Mounier, Emmanuel, “A Dialogue with Communism,” Cross Currents, III (Winter, 1953), 12Google Scholar.

40 Mounier, Emmanuel, “Le décret du Saint-Office,” Esprit, XVII, No. 158 (08, 1949), 307Google Scholar.

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46 Ibid., p. 21.

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51 Ibid.

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58 Mounier, , “A Dialogue with Communism,” p. 120Google Scholar.

59 Mounier, , “Devant nous,” p. 941Google Scholar. Sufficient consideration is not given to a possible fascism of the Left. See his justification of the Polish regime as the best government under the circumstances. Mounier, Emmanuel, “L'ordre règne-t-il à Varsovie?” Esprit, XIV, No. 123 (06, 1946), 1002Google Scholar.

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74 It is interesting to note that Gilbert Dru, the principal founder of the M.R.P., was a spiritual child of Mounier and Personalism. See Einaudi, Mario and Goguel, François, Christian Democracy in Italy and France (Notre Dame: 1952), p. 118Google Scholar.

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77 Mounier points out that the term Third Force was originated by Esprit in February, 1933 to apply to a spiritual not a political movement. See Mounier, Emmanuel, “Troisième Force,” Esprit, XVI, No. 141 (01, 1948), 113Google Scholar.

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79 Mounier, Emmanuel, “Front National,” Esprit, XIII, No. 108 (03, 1945), 620–21Google Scholar.

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84 Mounier, Emmanuel, “Les équivoques du pacifisme,” Esprit, XVII, No. 153 (02, 1949), 193Google Scholar.

85 Mounier, Emmanuel, “Devant le désespoir allemand,” Esprit, XIII, No. 110 (05, 1945), 901Google Scholar.

86 Mounier, Emmanuel, “Nouveaux débats sur l'Allemagne,” Esprit, XIII, No. 112 (07, 1945), 294Google Scholar. At the same time that he was pleading for a spirit of moderation toward Germany, Mounier was criticizing a new anti-Jewish spirit growing in France. See Mounier, Emmanuel, “Exodus 47,” Esprit, XV, No. 136 (08, 1947), 285–86Google Scholar.

87 Mounier himself organized a group of French and German intellectuals to discuss mutual problems and aid in mutual understanding. See Mounier, Emmanuel, “Un Comité France-Allemagne,” Esprit, XVII, No. 150 (11, 1948), 726–27Google Scholar.