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

"Critical Miscellanies (Vol. 2 of 3), Essay 3: Condorcet" by John Morley is an exploration of a philosopher's journey through the French Revolution, focusing on Marquis de Condorcet's life and ideas. The essay examines Condorcet's belief in humanity's potential for improvement and his position as an intellectual during a period of radical change. Highlighting Condorcet's survival through intense revolutionary times, in contrast to contemporaries like Voltaire and Rousseau, it portrays him as a thinker caught between advocating for social change and promoting rational governance. It sets the scene by looking at Condorcet’s relationships with other philosophers, to show how his ideas about human rights developed amidst the chaos of revolutionary France.