Chapter Il carattere di Jules Michelet

Abstract

The article deals with the national character in Jules Michelet. Michelet supports an essentialist version of the character. According him, it is caused by natural elements: geography, food and the various regions that make up France. These elements are spiritualized over time: it is the history that gave rise to the character of the French. The result is the complete fusion of all differences in a nation-individual: a generous person towards humanity. The French character is contrasted with the English character: selfish, greedy, all devoted to work and earnings. It is precisely because of their different characters that France has given the world the Revolution and England the Industrial Revolution, a phenomenon that mechanizes work, that destroys the body and soul of the workers.