Napoleon and Royer-Collard

Abstract

The paper explores Napoleon’s attitude towards the philosophical controversies of his time and to the spiritualism that was taught at the Imperial University. Napoleon’s ideological evolution, and the extent to which he was acquainted with the philosophical ideas of his epoch is also discussed. In light of Napoleon’s praise of Royer-Collard’s philosophy, the author looks for the object of Napleon’s approval in the new system. The author suggests that it was the general orientation against «ideologists» (something Napoleon acknowledged in his communication with Talleyrand). Not only the orientation against “ideologists” was important for the emperor, but also the way in which it was established: flawless, inescapable, refined. It is argued that Napleon could approve of Royer-Collard’s arguments about the incompleteness of the knowledge of man that sensualists possessed, the limitations of their theory of the ideas, and their inability to justify virtue with their own principles. Among other possible reasons behind his approval are Royer-Collard’s attacks on the lack of clarity, the metaphorical and hypothetical character of many philosophical assumptions of the “ideologists”, his appeals for their expulsion from science, the demand to rely only on established facts. Finally, Royer-Collard’s ontological scheme – matter, soul, God – was not in opposition to the emperor’s worldview. It is remarkable that Royer-Collard, as any other university professor of his time, found it possible to derive the existence of God from the overall collection of the phenomena observed by the man. Napoleon proved to be right in his prediction of the fall of the school of «ideologists» and its replacement by the contemporary spiritualist ideas. However, his political ideas, which the emperor also thought to be important, never became an incentive either for Royer-Collard or for other philosophers, who valued his thinking and were inspired by it. Of course, the philosophy in its development is subject to the influence of social factors, but it can’t be completely reduced to a political calculation.