From 1831 to 1867, Jules Michelet wrote the monumental history of France that marked the history. It describes the advanced language of a people towards liberty from fatality that inaugurate a genre of today’s national history that is widely appreciated.
“France had attracted my attention. It did not have a point of history, but annals.” Jules Michelet, during his twilight years, wrote in the preface of his monumental History of France that France’s history didn’t exist, because there wasn’t any chronology of events. And true history according to him requires a comprehensive approach and overview that gathers the past of the people in a grand saga. In his introduction of universal history written in 1831, he considers every human history a Promethean combat for liberty: It is Men who lead since the beginning of the time to pull themselves away from natural constraint and false beliefs.
During the same period, the philosopher Victor Cousin, who was his professor, proposed in his book “Cours D’histoire de la philosophie”1828 that was a simplified version, but not well written of George Hegel’s philosophy, see that human’s philosophy is a stream of thought towards a universal reason. For Hegel, history should lead to knowledge, whereas for Michelet is towards liberty.
Another difference is that Michelet is not very fond of philosophy. He refused the petrified version of the German philosopher about a guided history by general principles. He wants a humanistic history, where Men work, fight, invent, travel, unite and dream; a vivid history. When it makes sense it will become like a stream. Like a natural slop (a road towards liberty) but the road isn’t previously fixed, for what is calm and sinuous can turn into a torrential.
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