Marie Jean Condorcet
Philosopher, mathematician, politician. Condorcet provided a mathematical demonstration that parliamentary decisions are, with high probability, more rational than dictatorial ones. During the Revolution, he exerted significant influence as a deputy on major decisions: the Declaration of the Rights of Man and of the Citizen, the introduction of universal suffrage, and ultimately his own arrest — a vote in which he had to submit to the majority. A model of moderate liberalism, who claimed he owed no justification for his convictions, he later had ample time to reflect on the validity of his mathematical proof. He ended his life voluntarily.
JK
1743 - 1794
- September 17, 1743 · Born in Ribemont.
- 1765 · First publication of a mathematical treatise.
- 1782 · Elected to the Académie française.
- September 1791 · Deputy for the city of Paris in the Legislative Assembly.
- September 1792 · Deputy for the department of Aisne to the National Convention.
- January 1793 · During the trial of former King Louis XVI, Condorcet argues against the death penalty.
- June 1793 · After the arrest of the Girondins, Condorcet goes into hiding in Paris.
- March 1794 · He flees Paris and is soon discovered and arrested.
- April 9, 1794 · Commits suicide in Bourg-la-Reine.
Quotes
The right to take part in the affairs of one’s country, directly or through representatives, belongs not because of sex, but because human beings are rational.
Condorcet, 1788
I will never demean myself by justifying my principles or my conduct.
Condorcet
There was no one firmer in his convictions, no one more constant in his feelings.
Amélie Suard, Condorcet’s childhood friend
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External links
Le Moniteur
Samedi 19 Janvier 1793. L'an deuxième de la République Française.
The death of Condorcet
