What caused the French Revolution? Liberal historians argue that the French people, influenced by enlightenment thinkers like Rousseau, Voltaire and Didérot, rose up against the Ancien Régime to demand democracy and equality before the law. Marxist historians, however, recognize a dialectic struggle between the rising bourgeoisie and the forces of feudalism at the root of the revolution. In a discussion with Jean-François Gariépy, I outline the main developments of the French Revolution. I show the shortcomings of the liberal and Marxist narrative in explaining the French Revolution and propose a conspiratorial narrative by looking at the involvement of freemasons in the revolution. First recorded on JF’s now defunct show "The Public Space" on March 27, 2020 Follow JF on Twitter https://twitter.com/JFGariepy Bibliography BARRUEL, Augustin, *Mémoirs pour servir á l´histoire du Jacobinisme, Vol. I (Memoirs illustrating the history of Jacobinism, Vol. I)*, Hamburg: 1798 P. Fauche, URL: https://archive.org/stream/memoirsillustrat01barr#page/n5/mode/2up. BURKE, Edmund, *Reflections on the revolution in France*, London: 1790 J. Dodsley, URL: https://archive.org/details/in.ernet.dli.2015.189613/page/n3/mode/2up/search/reflections+on+the+revolution+in+france?q=reflections+on+the+revolution+in+france. CONDORCET, Nicolas de, *Esquisse d'un tableau historique des progrès de l'esprit humain (Sketch for a Historical Picture of the Progress of the Human Mind)*, Paris: Librairie de la Bibliotèque Nationale 1878 [1795], URL: https://archive.org/details/esquisseduntable00cond/mode/2up. LOZÈRE, Joseph Pelet de la, *Opinions de Napoléon sur divers sujet de politique et d´administration (Napoleon´s opinion on various topics concerning politiques and government)*, Paris: Firmin Didot Frères 1833, URL: https://gallica.bnf.fr/ark:/12148/bpt6k96493110/f7.image.texteImage. MARIE ANTOINETTE, Marie Antoinette, *Joseph II. und Leopold II. Ihr Briefwechsel (The correspondence of Marie Antoinette, Joseph II. and Leopold II.)*, Alfred Ritter (ed.), Leipzig: 1866 K. F. Köhler. MIRABEAU, De la monarchie prussienne, sous Frédéric le grand, Vol. 5 (The Prussian monarchy under Frederick the Great), London: 1788; Sur Moses Mendelssohn, sur la reforme politique des juifs (On Moses Mendelssohn, on political reformation of the jews), London 1787, URL: https://gallica.bnf.fr/ark:/12148/bpt6k41681h/f4.image. NO AUTHOR, *Einige Originalschriften des Illuminatenordens, welche bey dem gewesenen Regierungsrath Zwack durch vorgenommene Hausvisitation zu Landshut den 11. und 12. Oktob. [et]c. 1786. vorgefunden worden (Some original manuscripts of the order of the Illuminati which have been found at the former government official Zwack during a house search at Landshut on 11 and 12 October 1786)*, Munich: 1787 Strobl, URL: http://digital.slub-dresden.de/id372851223/1. ROBESPIERRE, Maximilien. *Oeuvres de Maximilien Robespierre, Vol. 9, Société des etudes robespierristes (ed.)*, Ivry: Phenix editions 2000. ROUSSEAU, Jean-Jeacques, *Du contrat social (The social contract)*, Amsterdam: Marc Michel Rey 1762, URL: https://www.ucc.ie/archive/hdsp/Rousseau_contrat-social.pdf. WEISHAUPT, Adam, *Ueber die geheime Welt- und Regierungskunst (On the secret art of global government)*, Frankfurt: 1795 Friedrich Eßlinger Verlag, read online: https://archive.org/details/bubgb_T-FLAAAAcAAJ/mode/2up; Einleitung zu meiner Apologie (Introduction to my apology), Frankfurt and Leipzig: Grattenaurische Buchhandlung, URL: https://reader.digitale-sammlungen.de/de/fs1/object/display/bsb10067850_00009.html.

Twitter: https://twitter.com/Anta1os This episode introduces how the Rosicrucian movement, together with Protestant German princes, launched a propaganda war on the Catholic Church at the outset of the Thirty Years’s War. This episode aired on August 1, 2020 on Semiogogue’s Youtube channel. Follow Semiogogue on Twitter: https://twitter.com/Semiogogue 03:00: Florentine Renaissance (Recap) 26:09: Martin Luther and the Reformation 40:34: Paracelsus 59:35: John Dee 01:22:30: Rosicrucian Manifestos 02:09:39: Thirty Years’ War Bibliography: ANDREAE, Johann Valentin, *Die chymische Hochzeit von Christian Rosenkreuz (The Chymical wedding of Christian Rosenkreuz)*, Starsbourg 1616, URL: https://archive.org/details/chymischehochzei00rose/page/n3/mode/2up ANONYMOUS, *Fama fraternitatis and the Confessio fraternitatis*, Hünefelde 1615, URL: https://archive.org/details/famafraternitati00andr GILLY, Carlos, *Cimelia Rhodostaurotica. Die Rosenkreuzer im Spiegel der zwischen 1610 und 1660 entstandenen Handschriften und Drucke (Cimelia Rhodostaurotica. The Rosicrucians in the mirror of manuscripts and prints from 1610 to 1660)*, Amsterdam 1995. HERMES TRISMEGISTUS, *Pimander de potestate et sapientia dei (Pimander on the power and wisdom of God)*, Marsilio Ficino (transl.), Ferrara 1472, URL: https://daten.digitale-sammlungen.de/0006/bsb00067142/images/index.html?id=00067142&groesser=&fip=eayawxdsydqrsyztseayafsdrewqeayaxsxdsyd&no=4&seite=1 *The theological and philosophical works of Hermes Trismegistus, Christian neoplatonist*, John David Chambers (transl.), Edinburgh 1882, URL: https://archive.org/details/b24875569 MIRANDOLA, Pico della, *900 Conclusiones*, Rome 1486, URL: https://archive.org/details/pico-1486-900-conclusiones/page/n5/mode/2up *Syncretism in the West: Pico's 900 Theses (1486)*, in: *Medieval and Renaissance Texts & Studies*, vol. 167, S. A. Farmer (ed.), Tempe, Arizona 1999. PARACELSUS, *Septem Defensiones (Seven Defenses)*, Strasbourg 1566, URL: https://www.google.de/books/edition/Libri_duo_Aureoli_Theophrasti_Paracelsi/nMERzs_ndc0C?hl=de&gbpv=0 PLATO, *Divini Platonis opera omnia (Complete works oft he divine Plato)*, Marsilio Ficino (transl.), Lyon 1547 [first published 1484], URL: https://archive.org/details/bub_gb_ucju1UXVU9UC *Plato. Complete works*, John M. Cooper (ed.), Indianopolis, Indiana 1997. PLETHON, *George Gemistos, Book of the Laws*, in: *George Gemistos Plethon*, C. M. Woodhouse (transl.), Oxford 1986, 322–356. Literature FRENCH, Peter, *John Dee: The world of an Elizabethan magus*, New York 1972. STEINER, Rudolf, *Rosicrucianism and Modern Inititation*, Forest Row 2020. VRIES, Lyke de, „Paracelsus and Roman censorship – Johannes Faber’s 1616 report in context“, in: *Intellectual History*, Vol. 28 II (2018), URL: https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/17496977.2017.1361060 WHITE, Ralph (ed.), *The Rosicrucian Enlightenment Revisited*, New York 1999. YATES, Frances, *The Rosicrucian Enlightenment*, London and New York 1972.

What caused the French Revolution? Liberal historians argue that the French people, influenced by enlightenment thinkers like Rousseau, Voltaire and Didérot, rose up against the Ancien Régime to demand democracy and equality before the law. Marxist historians, however, recognize a dialectic struggle between the rising bourgeoisie and the forces of feudalism at the root of the revolution. In a discussion with Jean-François Gariépy, I outline the main developments of the French Revolution. I show the shortcomings of the liberal and Marxist narrative in explaining the French Revolution and propose a conspiratorial narrative by looking at the involvement of freemasons in the revolution. First recorded on JF’s now defunct show "The Public Space" on August 31, 2020 Follow JF on Twitter https://twitter.com/JFGariepy Bibliography BARRUEL, Augustin, *Mémoirs pour servir á l´histoire du Jacobinisme, Vol. I (Memoirs illustrating the history of Jacobinism, Vol. I)*, Hamburg: 1798 P. Fauche, URL: https://archive.org/stream/memoirsillustrat01barr#page/n5/mode/2up. BURKE, *Edmund, Reflections on the revolution in France*, London: 1790 J. Dodsley, URL: https://archive.org/details/in.ernet.dli.2015.189613/page/n3/mode/2up/search/reflections+on+the+revolution+in+france?q=reflections+on+the+revolution+in+france. CONDORCET, Nicolas de, Esquisse d'un tableau historique des progrès de l'esprit humain (Sketch for a Historical Picture of the Progress of the Human Mind), Paris: Librairie de la Bibliotèque Nationale 1878 [1795], URL: https://archive.org/details/esquisseduntable00cond/mode/2up. LOZÈRE, Joseph Pelet de la, *Opinions de Napoléon sur divers sujet de politique et d´administration (Napoleon´s opinion on various topics concerning politiques and government)*, Paris: Firmin Didot Frères 1833, URL: https://gallica.bnf.fr/ark:/12148/bpt6k96493110/f7.image.texteImage. MARIE ANTOINETTE, *Marie Antoinette, Joseph II. und Leopold II. Ihr Briefwechsel (The correspondence of Marie Antoinette, Joseph II. and Leopold II.)*, Alfred Ritter (ed.), Leipzig: 1866 K. F. Köhler. MIRABEAU, *De la monarchie prussienne, sous Frédéric le grand, Vol. 5 (The Prussian monarchy under Frederick the Great)*, London: 1788; *Sur Moses Mendelssohn, sur la reforme politique des juifs (On Moses Mendelssohn, on political reformation of the jews)*, London 1787, URL: https://gallica.bnf.fr/ark:/12148/bpt6k41681h/f4.image. NO AUTHOR, *Einige Originalschriften des Illuminatenordens, welche bey dem gewesenen Regierungsrath Zwack durch vorgenommene Hausvisitation zu Landshut den 11. und 12. Oktob. [et]c. 1786. vorgefunden worden (Some original manuscripts of the order of the Illuminati which have been found at the former government official Zwack during a house search at Landshut on 11 and 12 October 1786)*, Munich: 1787 Strobl, URL: http://digital.slub-dresden.de/id372851223/1. ROBESPIERRE, Maximilien. *Oeuvres de Maximilien Robespierre, Vol. 9*, Société des etudes robespierristes (ed.), Ivry: Phenix editions 2000. ROUSSEAU, Jean-Jeacques, *Du contrat social (The social contract)*, Amsterdam: Marc Michel Rey 1762, URL: https://www.ucc.ie/archive/hdsp/Rousseau_contrat-social.pdf. WEISHAUPT, Adam, *Ueber die geheime Welt- und Regierungskunst (On the secret art of global government)*, Frankfurt: 1795 Friedrich Eßlinger Verlag, read online: https://archive.org/details/bubgb_T-FLAAAAcAAJ/mode/2up; *Einleitung zu meiner Apologie (Introduction to my apology)*, Frankfurt and Leipzig: Grattenaurische Buchhandlung, URL: https://reader.digitale-sammlungen.de/de/fs1/object/display/bsb10067850_00009.html.