Im ersten Band behandelt Talmon die Ursprünge der »totalitären Demokratie« im 18. Jahrhundert.

At the center of this first volume lie the theories of social science propagated by authors such as Helvetius, Holbach, Morelly and Mably as well as Rousseau´s concept of the general will of the people. The author describes the development of the French Revolution as a checkered struggle between the followers of a social balance of power and those who stood for the pure ideals of the Revolution as found in the teachings of Babeuf during the Reign of Terror.

Autorentext

Prof. Dr. Uwe Backes ist stellvertretender Direktor am Hannah-Arendt-Institut für Totalitarismusforschung an der TU Dresden.