F — Fanatisme
Original French
Le Fanatisme est à la superstition, ce que le transport est à la fiévre, ce que la rage est à la colère. Celui qui a des extases, des visions, qui prend des songes pour des réalités, & ses imaginations pour des prophéties, est un entousiaste; celui qui soutient sa folie par le meurtre, est un fanatique. Barthelemi Diaz, retiré à Nuremberg, qui était fermement convaincu que le Pape est l’Antechrist de l’Apocalipse, & qu’il a le signe de la bête, n’était qu’un entousiaste; son frère Barthelemi Diaz qui partit de Rome pour aller assassiner saintement son frère, & qui le tua en effet pour l’amour de Dieu, était un des plus abominables fanatiques que la superstition ait pû jamais former.
Polieucte qui va au temple dans un jour de solemnité renverser & casser les statues & les ornements, est un fanatique moins horrible que Diaz, mais non moins sot. Les assassins du Duc François de Guise, de Guillaume Prince d’Orange, du Roi Henri III., & du Roi Henri IV., de tant d’autres, étaient des énergumènes malades de la même rage que Diaz.
Le plus détestable exemple de Fanatisme, est celui des bourgeois de Paris qui coururent assassiner, égorger, jetter par les fenêtres, mettre en piéces la nuit de la St. Barthelemi leurs concitoyens qui n’allaient point à la Messe.
Il y a des Fanatiques de sang froid; ce sont les juges qui condamnent à la mort ceux qui n’ont d’autre crime que de ne pas penser comme eux; & ces juges là sont d’autant plus coupables, d'autant plus dignes de l’exécration du genre humain, que n’étant pas dans un accès de fureur, comme les Cléments, les Châtels, les Ravaillacs, les Gérards, les Damiens, il semble qu’ils pouraient écouter la raison.
Lorsqu’une fois le Fanatisme a gangrené un cerveau, la maladie est presque incurable. J’ai vu des convulsionnaires, qui en parlant des miracles de St. Paris, s’échauffaient par degrés malgré eux; leurs yeux s’enflamaient, leurs membres tremblaient, la fureur défigurait leur visage; & ils auraient tué quiconque les eût contredits.
Il n’y a d’autre remède à cette maladie épidémique que l’esprit philosophique, qui répandu de proche en proche adoucit enfin les mœurs des hommes, & qui prévient les accès du mal; car dès que ce mal fait des progrès, il faut fuir, & attendre que l’air soit purifié. Les loix & la religion ne sufisent pas contre la peste des ames; la religion loin d’être pour elles un aliment salutaire, se tourne en poison dans les cerveaux infectés. Ces misérables ont sans cesse présent à l’esprit l’exemple d’Aod, qui assassine le Roi Eglon; de Judith, qui coupe la tête d’Holopherne en couchant avec lui; de Samuel qui hâche en morceaux le roi Agag: ils ne voyent pas que ces exemples qui sont respectables dans l’antiquité, sont abominables dans le temps présent; ils puisent leurs fureurs dans la religion même qui les condamne.
Les loix sont encor très-impuissantes contre ces accès de rage; c’est comme si vous lisiez un arrêt du conseil à un frénétique. Ces gens là sont persuadés que l’esprit saint qui les pénètre, est au dessus des loix, que leur entousiasme est la seule loi qu’ils doivent entendre.
Que répondre à un homme qui vous dit qu’il aime mieux obéir à Dieu qu’aux hommes, & qui en conséquence est sûr de mériter le ciel en vous égorgeant?
Ce sont d’ordinaire les fripons qui conduisent les Fanatiques, & qui mettent le poignard entre leurs mains; ils ressemblent à ce vieux de la montagne, qui faisait, dit-on, gouter les joyes du paradis à des imbéciles, & qui leur promettait une éternité de ces plaisirs, dont il leur avait donné un avant-gout, à condition qu’ils iraient assassiner tous ceux qu’il leur nommerait. Il n’y a eu qu’une seule religion dans le monde qui n’ait pas été souillée par le fanatisme, c’est celle des lettrés de la Chine. Les sectes des philosophes étaient non seulement exemptes de cette peste, mais elles en étaient le remède.
Car l’effet de la philosophie est de rendre l’ame tranquille, & le fanatisme est incompatible avec la tranquilité. Si notre sainte religion a été si souvent corrompue par cette fureur infernale, c’est à la folie des hommes qu’il faut s’en prendre.
Ainsi du plumage qu’il eutIcare pervertit l’usage;Il le reçut pour son salut,Il s’en servit pour son dommage.
BERTAUD, Evêque de Sées.
Musean translation
Mouseia’s complete machine-assisted Musean translation of the 73 articles in the 1764 first edition, made directly from the French and reviewed against the scan-collated French text. The author’s notes, quotations and verse are retained. Historical ethnic labels, including offensive terms, are retained from the 1764 text.
Fanaticism is to superstition what delirium is to fever, what rabid fury is to anger. A man who has ecstasies and visions, who takes dreams for realities and imaginings for prophecies, is an enthusiast; a man who upholds his madness by murder is a fanatic. Bartholomew Diaz, retired to Nuremberg, firmly convinced that the pope is the Antichrist of the Apocalypse and bears the mark of the beast, was only an enthusiast. His brother Bartholomew Diaz, who left Rome to go and piously assassinate his brother, and did kill him for the love of God, was one of the most abominable fanatics superstition has ever formed.
Polyeucte, who goes to the temple on a solemn festival day to overturn and smash statues and ornaments, is a less horrible fanatic than Diaz, but no less foolish. The assassins of Duke Francis of Guise, William, Prince of Orange, King Henry III, King Henry IV, and so many others, were possessed madmen sick with the same rage as Diaz.
The most detestable example of fanaticism is that of the citizens of Paris who, on St. Bartholomew’s Night, ran to assassinate, cut the throats of, throw from windows, and tear to pieces their fellow citizens who did not go to Mass.
There are cold-blooded fanatics: the judges who condemn to death people whose only crime is not thinking as they do. These judges are all the guiltier, all the more deserving of the human race’s execration, because, not being in a fit of fury like the Cléments, Châtels, Ravaillacs, Gérards, and Damiens, they seem capable of listening to reason.
Once fanaticism has gangrened a brain, the disease is almost incurable. I have seen convulsionaries who, speaking of the miracles of St. Pâris, grew gradually heated in spite of themselves. Their eyes blazed, their limbs trembled, fury disfigured their faces; they would have killed anyone who contradicted them.
There is no remedy for this epidemic disease except the philosophical spirit, which, spreading little by little, at last softens men’s manners and prevents attacks of the illness. For once this illness makes progress, one must flee and wait for the air to be purified. Laws and religion are not enough against the plague of souls. Religion, far from being wholesome nourishment for them, turns to poison in infected brains. These wretches constantly keep before their minds the example of Ehud, who assassinates King Eglon; Judith, who cuts off Holofernes’ head while sleeping with him; Samuel, who hacks King Agag to pieces. They do not see that these examples, venerable in antiquity, are abominable in the present age. They draw their frenzy from the very religion that condemns them.
Laws too are powerless against these fits of rage; it is as though you were reading an order of council to a raving madman. These people are persuaded that the Holy Spirit penetrating them is above the laws, that their enthusiasm is the only law they ought to hear.
What can you answer a man who tells you he would rather obey God than men, and consequently is certain of earning heaven by cutting your throat?
Usually it is rogues who lead fanatics and put the dagger into their hands. They resemble that Old Man of the Mountain who, they say, gave fools a taste of paradise’s joys and promised them an eternity of those pleasures he had let them sample, on condition that they go and assassinate everyone he named. Only one religion in the world has remained unstained by fanaticism: that of China’s scholars. The philosophical sects were not only free of this plague; they were its remedy.
For philosophy’s effect is to make the soul tranquil, and fanaticism is incompatible with tranquility. If our holy religion has so often been corrupted by this infernal fury, it is men’s madness that must be blamed.
Thus, with the plumage he received,Icarus perverted its use;He received it for his safety,He used it for his ruin.
Bertaut, Bishop of Sées.
Plain English translation
Mouseia’s complete machine-assisted Plain English translation of the same 73 articles, made directly from the French and reviewed against the scan-collated French text. The author’s notes, quotations and verse are retained. Historical ethnic labels, including offensive terms, are retained from the 1764 text.
Compare fanaticism with superstition. It’s like comparing delirium with fever, or rage with anger. Someone may fall into trances and see visions. He may take his dreams as real and his imaginings as prophecies. That makes him a religious enthusiast. When he uses murder to support his madness, he’s a fanatic. Bartholomew Diaz had moved away to Nuremberg. He was certain the pope was the Antichrist in Revelation and carried the beast’s mark. He was just a religious enthusiast. His brother, also Bartholomew Diaz, left Rome on a holy mission to murder him. He did kill his brother, out of love for God. Superstition has produced few fanatics more abominable than that man.
Polyeucte goes into the temple during a festival. He knocks over and breaks its statues and decorations. He’s less horrible than Diaz, but he’s just as much a fool and still a fanatic. Think of the men who assassinated Duke Francis of Guise, William, Prince of Orange, King Henry III, King Henry IV, and so many others. These were men possessed, suffering from the same rage as Diaz.
The worst example is what the citizens of Paris did on Saint Bartholomew’s night. They rushed to murder their neighbors because they didn’t attend Mass. They slit their throats, hurled them from windows, and tore them to pieces.
Some fanatics keep cool. These are the judges who sentence people to death just for disagreeing with them. They’re guiltier still, and deserve still more hatred from the whole human race. Unlike the Cléments, Châtels, Ravaillacs, Gérards, and Damiens, they aren’t carried away by fury. You’d think they could hear reason.
Once fanaticism has eaten into someone’s brain, there’s almost no curing the disease. I’ve seen convulsionaries talking about Saint Pâris’s miracles. Little by little, despite themselves, they grew heated. Their eyes burned, their arms and legs shook, and rage twisted their faces. Anyone who’d contradicted them would have been killed.
Only a habit of philosophical thinking can treat this epidemic. It gradually passes from person to person, eventually making people less harsh. It also stops the disease from breaking out. Once the sickness starts spreading, though, you have to run away. Wait until the air is clear again. Neither laws nor religion can stop this plague in people’s souls. Religion, instead of nourishing them, becomes poison in their infected brains. These miserable people keep certain examples always in mind. Ehud assassinates King Eglon. Judith beheads Holofernes while she’s sleeping with him. Samuel chops King Agag into pieces. They don’t see the difference: these ancient examples deserve respect, but doing such things today is abominable. The religion that condemns their fury is where they find that fury.
Nor can laws do much against these bursts of rage. You might as well read a council decree to a raving madman. These people believe the Holy Spirit has entered them and stands above the law. To them, their religious fervor is the only law worth hearing.
A man tells you he’d rather obey God than other men. That makes him sure he’ll deserve heaven for slitting your throat. What answer can you give him?
Usually, crooks lead the fanatics and arm them with daggers. They’re like the Old Man of the Mountain. People say he let fools sample the delights of paradise. He promised them those same pleasures for eternity if they’d murder everyone he named. Just one religion anywhere has escaped the stain of fanaticism: the religion of China’s scholars. The philosophical schools didn’t merely escape this plague. They were the cure for it.
Philosophy brings peace to the soul; fanaticism and peace can’t live together. If this hellish rage has so often corrupted our holy religion, human madness is to blame.
So the feathers he receivedWere misused by Icarus;He got them to keep himself safe,But used them to hurt himself.
Bertaut, Bishop of Sées.
About this section
F — Fanatisme is part of Pocket Philosophical Dictionary by Voltaire. This page sets the French original beside 2 direct-source translations, so any line can be checked against the source. It is article 39 of 73 in the work, which is kept in the European tradition.
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