How the Year 2440 was Imagined in 1771
Summary
TLDRIn Louis Sebastien Mercier's 1771 novel 'The Year 2440,' a man dreams of a future Paris where the Industrial Revolution has been averted, leading to a utopian society valuing philosophy and reason. Despite technological advancements like hologram technology, the world focuses on peaceful progress, agrarian lifestyles, and the arts. Mercier's vision, banned in France and Spain, influenced historical figures like George Washington and Thomas Jefferson, presenting a critique of societal norms and a hopeful perspective on humanity's potential for a harmonious future.
Takeaways
- 🌟 The concept of the future has evolved over time, with visions influenced by the rapid industrial and scientific progress of the 19th century.
- 📚 Louis Sebastian Mercier's 1771 novel 'The Year 2440' presents a utopian future where societal changes are driven by philosophy and reason rather than industrialization.
- 🏙️ In Mercier's vision, Paris in 2440 is a reorganized, clean, and orderly city with grand streets and a focus on public safety and health.
- 🚗 Traffic in this future Paris is regulated with right-hand traffic rules, contrasting with the chaos of 18th-century Paris.
- 🛡️ Duels are banned, and the carrying of swords is considered unnecessary and indecent, reflecting a society that values peace and order.
- 🌿 The city is characterized by greenery, with rooftop gardens and a focus on environmental beauty and sustainability.
- 🏛️ Cultural and societal institutions have been transformed, with the Louvre and Tuileries Palace forming a grand public square for celebrations.
- 📈 Scientific progress is evident in the form of new technology, such as devices that manipulate light and sound, though the most advanced technologies are kept secret to prevent misuse.
- 🙏 Religion in this future society is simple and focused on worship and moral conduct, with a rejection of theological complexity and a focus on the essentials of faith.
- 🏡 Family life is centered around love, education, and simplicity, with a shift away from materialism and towards meaningful relationships and personal growth.
- ⚖️ The legal system is reformed, with laws that are just and regular, and a society that values honesty and the rule of law above all.
Q & A
What is the main theme of Louis Sebastian Mercier's novel 'The Year 2440: A Dream If Ever There Was One'?
-The main theme of the novel is a utopian vision of the future where societal changes are brought about through philosophy and reason, rather than technological advancements. It presents a world transformed by peaceful revolution and the absence of the Industrial Revolution.
How does Mercier's vision of the future in 'The Year 2440' differ from common futuristic predictions?
-Mercier's vision differs by focusing on societal and philosophical changes rather than technological advancements. He imagines a world where progress is measured by moral and intellectual growth, not by industrial and mechanical inventions.
What was the reaction to Mercier's novel when it was first published?
-The novel was banned in its country of origin, France, and in Spain by the Inquisition. Despite this, it became an underground hit, translated into numerous languages, and was popular and controversial in the 18th century.
What significant societal changes does the protagonist notice upon waking up in the year 2440 in Mercier's novel?
-The protagonist notices that Paris has been reorganized with grand and beautiful streets, buildings are in good condition and adorned with greenery, and traffic flows in an orderly manner with right-and-left rules. There is also a notable absence of duels and the carrying of swords, indicating a more peaceful society.
How does the future society in 'The Year 2440' view scientific progress and its applications?
-The society values scientific progress but is cautious about its applications. They have developed technology such as light manipulation and sound mimicry, but they also acknowledge the potential for abuse and maintain secrecy over more powerful discoveries.
What role does religion play in the future society depicted in Mercier's novel?
-Religion is deeply ingrained in the society of the future, with a belief in an intelligent creator and the immortality of the soul. However, religious practices are simplified, focusing on worship and moral teachings rather than theological debates or complex rituals.
How does the education system in the year 2440 differ from the 18th century as described in the novel?
-The education system in the future focuses on practical learning, with an emphasis on reading and writing in French and further instruction tailored to the roles individuals are expected to hold in society, rather than on ancient languages like Greek and Latin.
What changes have been made to the governance and legal system in Mercier's vision of 2440?
-The governance has been decentralized into a confederation where each province governs itself. Power is divided between the ceremonial king, the Senate, and the Estates General. The legal system has been reformed to be more just, with laws decided by majority votes and corruption stamped out.
How does the future society depicted in the novel view the concept of war and military?
-The society has largely disbanded its military, with kings preferring good governance over conquest. They have learned that a small kingdom can have the best form of government and that international trade can lead to inequality and atrocities.
What is the fate of the Palace of Versailles in Mercier's vision of the future?
-The Palace of Versailles has fallen into ruins, symbolizing the fall of the old regime and the transient nature of pride and power. It serves as a reminder to future generations of the consequences of abusing power and the impermanence of grandiosity.
Outlines
🌌 Visions of the Future and 'The Year 2440'
The script introduces the concept of envisioning the future, referencing various historical predictions and technological advancements. It highlights the work of French writer Louis Sébastien Mercier, who in 1771 published 'The Year 2440: A Dream If Ever There Was One,' presenting a utopian future. The novel depicts a world with technological progress but without the Industrial Revolution, featuring an agrarian society with hologram-like technology, a peaceful revolution in France, and unusual societal norms. The book was banned in France and Spain but became popular and influential, reflecting on philosophy and reason's impact on societal change.
🏙️ Transformed Paris and Societal Evolution
The protagonist of Mercier's novel wakes up in a transformed Paris in 2440. He experiences a city with organized traffic, right-hand traffic rules, and significant architectural changes, including the removal of the Bastille and the completion of the Louvre's transformation. The city is safer, with gunpowder magazines relocated outside the city limits. The hospital system has been reformed to prevent overcrowding and disease spread. The population has grown, but the Industrial Revolution has not occurred, leading to a more agrarian society with an idyllic life for farmers, productive work habits, and a focus on useful projects like scientific experiments.
🔮 Scientific Progress and Religious Practices
In the year 2440, scientific advancements include devices that manipulate light to create illusions and mimic sounds, contributing to entertainment and education. The society is deeply religious, with belief in an intelligent creator and the immortality of the soul. Religious practices have evolved to be simpler, with an emphasis on basic tenets like adoring God and loving one's neighbor. Theatrical works on religious subjects have been replaced by those on scientific themes, reflecting a shift in societal values and interests.
🏛️ The Palace of Versailles and the Fall of Monarchy
The script describes the downfall of the Palace of Versailles, symbolizing the end of absolute monarchy. The king in Mercier's vision has become a figurehead, with power divided among the king, the Senate, and the Estates General. The legal system has been reformed, corruption eradicated, and laws made just. The king lives among the people, having grown up away from courtly life, and maintains a connection with the common people. The collection of taxes is voluntary, with people often contributing more than required, showing a high level of civic engagement and support for public projects.
🌳 Abolition of Colonialism and International Trade
Mercier's vision includes the abolition of colonialism and international trade, focusing on internal agricultural trade and banning luxuries like snuff, tea, and coffee. The former colonies have gained independence, with a statue of 'Black Spartacus' symbolizing the liberation of slaves and the punishment of European tyrants. The continents of North and South America are divided into numerous smaller states, with Pennsylvania being the only surviving colony, likely due to the Quakers' stance against slavery.
🌏 Global Changes and the New World Order
The script outlines global changes, with China and Japan opening their borders, exchanging cultural works, and adopting simpler writing systems. Tahiti has avoided colonization by refusing contact with outsiders, but this policy has recently changed. The Ottoman Empire has fallen, and Constantinople is now a Greek republic. Catherine the Great is remembered for her positive influence on Poland and Russia, and the Papal States no longer exist, with the Pope demoted to the Bishop of Rome. Spain is experiencing an industrial and artistic renaissance, and London has embraced a political system that enriches the people.
🗽 Reflections on the Transience of Power
The narrator visits the ruins of Versailles, where he encounters an old man who laments the fall of the palace, built on the suffering of the people. The old man reveals himself to be Louis XIV, who is cursed to weep over his actions. This encounter serves as a cautionary tale about the transient nature of power and the importance of using it responsibly for the welfare of the people.
Mindmap
Keywords
💡Utopia
💡Industrial Revolution
💡Hologram Technology
💡Right-Hand Traffic
💡Public Health
💡Cabinet of Physics
💡Acoustics
💡Religion and Society
💡Book Burning
💡Gender Roles
💡Decentralization
Highlights
The future world envisioned by Mercier in 'The Year 2440' is contrasted with typical technological progress, featuring an agrarian society with advanced philosophy and reason.
The novel presents a utopian society where France has been transformed peacefully under the guidance of its king, with no industrial revolution.
Despite technological advancements, the society in 2440 still values agrarian life, with work only taking up a few hours and the rest filled with joy and leisure.
In Mercier's vision, scientific progress is tempered with caution, as not all discoveries are revealed to the public to prevent misuse.
The future society is deeply religious, with a belief in an intelligent creator and the immortality of the soul, yet theology is minimal and religious texts are scarce.
A unique aspect of the future is the public burning of books deemed frivolous, useless, or dangerous, aiming to rebuild human knowledge from the ground up.
The protagonist experiences a future Paris that is orderly and clean, with right-and-left traffic rules, unlike the chaotic 18th-century city.
The future government has banned duels and the wearing of swords, promoting a peaceful and well-regulated society.
In 2440, the Bastille is replaced by a temple of clemency, symbolizing a new age where no citizen can be imprisoned without due process.
The Louvre and the Tuileries Palace form a vast square for public celebrations, indicating a shift towards communal spaces and arts.
The unnamed protagonist is introduced to a future with advanced optical and acoustic devices, creating illusions of landscapes and sounds.
The future society has a decentralized government system, with power divided between the king, the Senate, and the Estates General.
The legal system is reformed with just laws and regular punishments, and corruption is virtually eliminated.
The future king lives a simple life, close to the people, and is reminded of his mortality and the importance of his reputation.
France has disbanded its military and lost its colonies, choosing a path of peace and focusing on internal trade and agriculture.
The former colonies gain independence, with the New World being liberated by a black Spartacus, leading to the establishment of new states.
The narrator's vision of the future ends with a dream of Louis XIV lamenting the fall of Versailles, symbolizing the end of an era and the rise of a new, more enlightened society.
Transcripts
[Music]
the world of the future is a concept
that has always evolved with the
present over the years many different
Visions have been put forward from
predictions of personal airships around
1900 to nuclear powered cars and space
flight by the middle of the
century most of these Visions were made
in the wake of the rapid industrial and
scientific progress of the 19th century
and focus on how technology will
continue to reshape the
world but even before this period in
time there were some who speculated
about how the future could be different
from the
present one of them was the French
writer and dramatist Louis Sebastian
Mercier in 1771 he published a novel
called the year 2440 a dream if ever
there was one in which he presents a
very different kind of future than we're
used to written from the perspective of
an 18th century man who falls asleep one
night and dreams that he wakes up almost
700 years into the future it shows a
world where some technological progress
has been made but the Industrial
Revolution never happened it's a world
where an agrarian society has invented
something resembling hologram technology
where Pennsylvania is ruled by an atic
emperor and drinking coffee is a
criminal
offense most of all the book is
interested in how philosophy and reason
has changed the world world and
describes how France has been
transformed into an aarian Society
through a peaceful Revolution led by its
king essentially a piece of utopian
fiction the book was unusual and that it
placed its Utopia not in the present day
on some Far Away Island but in the
distant future and in the familiar
setting of
[Music]
Paris released just 18 years before the
outbreak of the French Revolution it can
be seen as a veiled call to action and
was promptly banned in its country of
origin
it was also forbidden in Spain where it
was condemned by the Inquisition and
reputedly burned by the king
himself nonetheless the book became an
underground hit and one of the most
popular and controversial novels of the
18th century it was translated into
numerous languages went through over 20
editions in mercier's lifetime and ended
up in the libraries of both George
Washington and Thomas
Jefferson in this video we'll take a
closer look at this century old vision
of the
[Music]
[Music]
future upon waking up the unnamed
protagonist of the story notices that
his body feels much heavier than usual
his hands tremble his face is pale and
he can only walk with the help of a cane
in other words he had grown old and fr
Trail in his
sleep making his way out to the street
the man finds a newly erected Monument
with the year 2440 inscribed in Roman
numerals looking around he can barely
recognize the city he once lived in and
is so captivated by its order and
cleanliness that he at first doesn't
notice when a crowd of people start
gathering around to look at this strange
figure wearing old-fashioned
clothes after a while one man approached
him and asked what was the purpose of
this guys hearing that the protagonists
was from the age of Louis the 15th he
exclaimed that we should be astonished
at nothing perhaps this gentleman has
found the immortal Elixir or the
philosopher
stone he then offered to show him around
becoming the first of a number of guides
that appear in the story and help
explain the world to
us first of all the protagonist was led
to a clothing shop where he could find
something more upto-date to wear his
18th century attire was not in line with
a practical and comfortable fashion of
the future and clearly Drew too much
attention on the way there he was
informed that he wouldn't be needing his
sword anymore the government had banned
all duels and in a well-regulated city
like Paris it was considered completely
unnecessary and even indecent to wear a
Lethal Weapon wherever you
went having decided on a new set of
clothes he paid with a gold coin from
his own time which the shopkeeper
promised to keep as an
antique the man then stepped back back
out on the street and began exploring
the
city Paris in the year 2440 has been
completely
reorganized the chaotic medieval fabric
has made way for Grand and beautiful
streets built in straight lines similar
to what actually happened during
housman's renovation a bit under a
century after the book was
published the buildings which are all in
good condition no longer grow old with
those that built them
their rooftops are ornamented with
fragrant trees and pots of flowers and
since they're all of a similar height
they connect forming one vast Roof
Garden covering the city in
Greenery as the main character started
walking down one of the orderly streets
he was immediately impressed by the
traffic what caught his attention was
not flying cars or any other exotic
means of transportation but the simple
observation that all who went took the
right hand and all who came left in
other words in 2440 Paris has rightand
traffic this was a big deal because in
the 18th century parisians had no rule
to decide whether they would drive on
the left or on the right side of the
road and coaches would often get
entangled with one another clogging up
traffic for hours this of course also
made the roads very dangerous for
pedestrians and as if that wasn't enough
some drivers especially noblemen could
be completely Reckless in the footnotes
Mercy informs us that he has quote seen
a superb Carriage drawn by six horses
sumptuously harnessed through two rows
of wandering
Artisans this is no longer a problem in
the year
2440 those kinds of coaches have been
banned through sumay law that is a law
designed to prevent extravagance or
luxury and the noblemen of the Future
walk with their own two legs in this way
they have more money and less
gout we also learn of some more specific
changes to the city just like in real
life the bastile has been torn down
although not by a revolution but by a
king on the ruins of this place of Royal
Vengeance has been built a temple to
clemency heralding a new age where no
citizen can be imprisoned without due
process the Lou whose transformation
from a medieval castle into a classical
Palace had begun already in 1528 has
finally been finished and is home to all
the greatest artists of the Kingdom
together with the twery palace which in
our timeline was destroyed in 1871 and
no longer exists it forms an immense
Square where public celebrations are
held furthermore for the sake of safety
gunpowder magazines are no longer
located within the city as Mercier
points out they can easily be ignited by
lightning which in fact happened as
recently as 1769 when an explosion in
the Italian city of breia killed
hundreds if not thousands
the hotel du for a long time the only
Hospital in Paris has also been moved
and divided into 12 smaller departments
placed at the edges of the city this was
done to prevent overcrowding and the
spread of
disease merci writes that the hospital
in his time could convert a simple
indisposition into a cruel disease and
recalls that he has personally walked
through the wards of the hospital and
quote seen the dying crowded closer
together than they ought to be in the
grave precipitate the death of their
miserable companions
I've seen their pangs and their tears
regarded with General unconcern the
sword of death struck on the right and
on the left and not a sigh was heard one
would have thought that they were
killing beasts in a starter
house in the future by contrast well
educated and Humane Physicians closely
examine each patient and people no
longer go to the hospital already struck
with the idea of death and mey to secure
an
interment
[Music]
in Mercy's future Paris has been
transformed into a beautiful and
efficient City but it's barely grown at
all while the population of the Kingdom
at large has doubled from around 25 to
50 million most of them live in the
countryside the Industrial Revolution
simply never took off and if anything
France is more agrarian than in the past
life of the average farmer is described
in idilic terms the fields ReSound with
songs of Joy work takes up just a few
hours of the day and is frequently
interrupted by sports or folk
dances this relaxed life style is
possible not because of automation but
simply because everyone is productive
there are no more monks nor are there
valleys domestic servants or people
employed in other
luxuries some still have more money than
others but they spend their wealth on
useful and respectable projects like
scientific
experiments the Kings also take great
interest in increasing human knowledge
instead of counting victories in battles
or lands conquered it is said of
monarchs that he made such a discovery
in the ocean of beings or he
accomplished such a project for the good
of
mankind so despite not having ushered in
a new age of industry and urbanization
scientific progress has taken place and
the main character gets to witness some
of the new technology they will be
available in the
future at one point in the story he
enters a vast building known as the
king's
cabinet containing a seemingly endless
collection of natural specimens and
human inventions it was meant as an
abridgment of the entire universe and
served a similar function to actual
cabinets of physics in which lecturers
demonstrated scientific principles to
18th century
audiences Within its four wings you
could find every plant from the meal
flower to the great Cedar Taxidermy
animals from the lion to the whale and
even samples from the deep interior of
the Earth all systematically arranged
and
categorized among the inventions kept
here one in particular caught the eye of
the protagonist namely a device that
could manipulate lights to create the
illusion of different views similar to a
projector of images or perhaps even of
holograms he writes but what most of all
surprised me was an optical cabinet
where they had assembled all the
properties of light it was a Perpetual
scene of magic they caused to pass
before my eyes Landscapes prospects
palaces rainbows meteors luminous
ciphers imaginary seas and which were
more striking than even the realities it
was the region of
Enchantment the prospect of creation
rising out of inanity could not have
given me a sensation more Exquisite and
astonishing
scientists had not only succeeded in
manipulating light the narrator was also
shown a device that could mimic various
sounds quote what related to Acoustics
was no less miraculous they had acquired
the art of imitating all the
articulations of the human voice of the
cries of animals and the various notes
of birds by touching certain Springs we
seem to be instantly transported to some
wild forest where we heard the roarings
of the lion the tiger and the Bear
this invention was not only used for
entertainment it could also teach
valuable
lessons whenever a prince would develop
a warlike disposition he was led into a
special room called the
hell there this device would be
activated showing him all the horrible
sounds of battle the quote cries of rage
and of grief the Lamentations of the
dying the sounds of Terror the bellowing
of That Hideous Thunder which is the
signal of Destruction embarrass the
execrable sound of
death if nature did not then Prevail on
his mind if he did not send forth A Cry
of horror if his countenance remained
unmoved and Placid he was confined to
that room for the remainder of his
days in another part of the building
dedicated to mathematics the narrator
was shown some of the Practical fruits
of this science quote I saw machines of
every kind that were proper to assist
the arm of man and such as contained
much greater Powers than are known to us
they were adapted to all sorts of
motions and by the aid of these the
heaviest weights were managed with
facility impressive as these inventions
were we are never shown the most
advanced technology available in the
future quote they whispered moreover
that many remarkable and even wonderful
secrets were confided to the care of a
small number of their sages for there
are matters good in themselves that may
be abused in their
application the human mind in their
opinion was not yet sufficiently strong
to make use of the most rare and most
powerful discoveries without
[Music]
danger the people of the future are
deeply religious in fact you can hardly
find a single atheist in the whole
Kingdom but religion has changed over
the course of the
centuries in 2440 people believe in an
intelligent creator of the universe and
in the immortality of the soul but
prefer not to speculate much on
specifics it said that it is with
religion as with laws the most simple
are the best adore God love thy neighbor
hearken to conscience all the rest is
imposture fraud and
falsehood no one writes about theology
anymore and all existing works on this
subject have been locked behind large
iron bars in a Subterranean
chamber one of the people the main
character meets explains that if we
should have a war with any neighboring
Nation instead of attacking them with
our Cannon we shall send these
pestiferous Works among them we preserve
these volcanoes of inflammable matter
merely for the destruction of our
enemies which they will certainly affect
by means of their subtle poisons that
sees at once The Head and the
[Music]
Heart every morning people are called by
the sound of trumpets to public prayer
in a temple and the narrator visits one
of these buildings in
Paris he describes it as circular and
crowned with a magnificent Dome of glass
displaying to the people the author of
the universe in all its different
aspects through weather and the
seasons the interior centers around the
Altar and is completely unadorned only
the name of God repeated a thousand
times in different languages is spread
across the
walls when wor ship lasts for about an
hour and evolves a simple sermon
accompanied by hymns and organ
music only a few religious ceremonies
are practiced in the future one of them
corresponds to the first
communion whenever a young man is judged
to be ready he's brought to an
observatory on a clear starry night to
be initiated into the mysteries of the
universe by means of a telescope he
shown Saturn Jupiter Mars and the
countless stars of the Milky Way while a
venerable Pastor tells him with an awful
Majestic voice to adore that Creator
whose resplendant Majesty is impressed
on the front of these stars that obey
his
laws then a microscope is brought and a
new universe more astonishing more
wonderful than the former opens up
before his
eyes after this ceremony he's supposed
to be cured of his terrestrial ambition
and of the little hatreds that it
engenders he respects all man has
animated with the same breath of life he
is the brother of all that the creator
has
formed the stars and the planets also
play an important role at the end of
life it is believed that these heavenly
bodies are all inhabited and that you
can be reincarnated on them after
death but while the generous Soul
ascends to ever higher worlds as by
gradual ladder leading ultimately to
Perfection the wicked are plunged Back
Into Darkness quote
a monarch at his decease becomes a mole
a minister a venomous serpent inhabiting
some filthy Marsh while the writer he
disdained or rather could not comprehend
hath obtained a glorious rank among
intelligent beings the Friends of
Humanity but before leaving this life
behind it is customary to collect what
you've learned for future
Generations all of your wisdom and your
greatest insights are written down in a
book which is collected with reverence
and meditated on by your descendants
quote these are our funeral earns and
seem to us more valuable than your
Sumptuous madams your tombs covered with
wretched inscriptions dictated by pride
and executed by
baseness portraits and statues preserve
the body semblance only why not
represent the soul and The Virtuous
sentiments by which it was
affected
not all books are treated with as much
reverence at one point the narrator
visits the Royal Library and finds to a
surprise that its Grand Halls stand
almost
empty only a small room to the side
contained a number of books none of
which were particularly
large asking the librarian what had
happened he explained that the vast
majority of books had been destroyed in
a great configration one he adds which
was done on purpose
quote by an unanimous consent we brought
together on a vast plane all those books
which we judged either frivolous useless
or
dangerous of these we formed a pyramid
that resembled in height and bulk an
enormous Tower it was certainly another
Babel journals crowned this strange
edifice and it was covered on all sides
with ordinances of Bishops remonstrances
of parliaments petitions and funeral
orations it was composed of 5 or 600,000
commentators of 800,000 volumes of law
of 50,000 dictionaries of 100,000 poems
of 1,600,000 voyages and travels and of
a milliard of
romances this massive book burning
ceremony was part of an attempt to
rebuild human knowledge from the ground
up works that were perceived as harmful
were forever destroyed whereas those
that had some substance hidden beneath a
quote monstrous heap of words or phrases
were summarized before being put on the
fire among the books lost in those
Flames were not just newer works but
also some of the ancient Classics like
oid Herodotus safo ciceros
non-philosophical works and those of the
quote vile
Aristophanes Plato and a number of
ancients were as spared although the
largest section of the library belongs
to English
authors the only thing regulating new
works however is public opinion
authors in theory enjoy freedom of the
press and can write anything they want
but if enough readers find that
someone's work is immoral or contains
dangerous principles then he's forced to
wear a mask of Shame and is visited
daily by two re- Educators until it
takes back what he's
written similarly practitioners of the
other Arts are provided for by the state
and thereby in theory free to express
their genius however they want instead
of appeasing some rich client but they
won't win any competition without the
approval of the
public this has conveniently led to
profusion of works that are moral and
instructive Painters have abandoned
mythological themes which although
ingenious in the infancy of the art had
been repeated a thousand times and was
now become
disgustful modern Works show examples of
virtue and heroism and have become so
lifelike that they appear almost like
mirrors thanks to improvements in the
art of Engraving highly accurate color
copies of these paintings things can be
mass-produced and are found decorating
the walls of almost every
home we get a closer look inside a
typical home where the narrator is
invited for dinner with a family one
evening the rooms are large and
decorated with restraint you no longer
find quote 20 brittle tasteless bobles
there was no gilding varnishing
porcelain or wretched
figures the manners of his hosts also
great they impressed the main character
these people talked from principle he
writes and did not contradict themselves
20 times in a quarter of an hour the
eldest son did not give me a specimen of
his wit by ridiculing his father neither
his mother nor his grandmother would
have been Charmed with such
witticisms the women he continues were
not continually wrangling about
metaphysics and if they spoke about
poetry of Dramas or authors they
constantly acknowledged themselves
notwithstanding their great ability
unequal to the
[Music]
subject women play a very small part in
merc's vision of the future and are
still confined to traditional gender
roles marriage is based on love and
divorce is legal but the ideal woman of
the 25th Century is an amiable companion
to her
husband no longer expected to perform
backbreaking physical work they learn to
manage the economy of the household and
take care of child
rearing it education in the future does
not involve learning ancient Greek and
Latin both dead
languages instead children are simply
taught to read and write in French
further instruction differs depending on
what station they're expected to hold in
society each art is unfathomable it is
said and to excel in it requires our
whole attention it was the ridicule of
your age to Endeavor to be Universal we
regard it as a
Madness before the clock at struck 7 it
was time for supper which was noteworthy
for its Simplicity none of the meats had
any particular seasoning apart from Salt
while the herbs and fruits were all of
the season for they knew not the secret
of producing wretched cherries in the
midst of
winter for entertainment they turned to
drafts chess or recreational mathematics
something that even the children are
acquainted
with there was also music the narrator
heard a woman sing a beautiful song
accompanied by flute although most
enchanting of all was the sound of the
improved harmonica which quote breathed
the most pure lull and melodious sounds
that can charm the year it was a
ravishing and Celestial
music what he's talking about here is
not the harmonica we usually think of
since it was only invented in the 19th
century instead he probably refers to
the glass harmonica a new and exciting
instrument which had only been invented
11 years before the book was published
by none less than Benjamin
Franklin played with wetted fingers it
consisted of a set of graduated tuned
glass bowls and briefly achieved great
popularity before falling out of fashion
in the early 19th century Marie antoanet
is known to have taken lessons and
Mozart wrote this very piece
specifically for the
[Applause]
harmonica
[Laughter]
[Applause]
Mercier successfully predicted that
France would undergo a revolution though
in his version it was enacted by one man
a great philosopher
king being more interested in the
happiness of his people than in power he
abolished absolute monarchy and
decentralized the kingdom into a sort of
Confederation where each province
governs
itself in this new system power is
divided between the king whose role has
become largely ceremonial the Senate
which takes care of day-to-day
Administration and the Estates General
which meets every 2 years to enact new
laws and fill vacant posts everything is
decided there by a majority of
votes corruption has been Stamped Out of
the legal system and the laws have been
reformed into regular and just body
punishments are less severe and have
become proportional to the crime in
question no one is above the law and
everyone enjoys the right to plead one's
case arbitrary arrests have long been a
thing of the
past even in Mercy's Utopia however you
are expected to pay your
taxes thankfully the rate is no higher
than 2% and if your income is under a
certain threshold or if you don't own
any property then you don't have to pay
at all
that being said the people of the future
often pay more than what's required of
them in every quarter of Paris and in
every city in the provinces you'll find
two chests one large where the mandatory
tax is deposited and one smaller for
voluntary gifts to the state people
flock to contribute to this smaller one
whenever the king proposes a useful
project for the public good and as a
consequence it often contains more money
than the
other the collection of all of these
chests from around the country is done
once a year and has become a public
celebration as they are brought on
carriages to the Royal Palace people
turn out wearing garlands of flowers and
cry long live the king cannons are fired
and toasts are made to the health of the
Monarch who personally walks out into
the joyful crowd to present
himself the king is always near to the
people he now lives in Paris instead of
Versailles and is no longer surrounded
by that class of men who lived in
idleness and fed their pride with old
parchments
before coming to power he's brought up
far from the court clothed like an
ordinary peasant he travels through all
the provinces and learns about the lives
of ordinary
people he enters the Hut of the plowman
eats at his table assists in his labors
and learns to respect
him even after ascending to the throne
he observes a strict fast and sleeps on
the floor for 3 Days every year lest he
should forget what he owes the poor in
times of public
calamity
any citizen can be admitted to the Royal
Hall of audience and have his voice
heard by the king if he provides Sound
Advice he is thanked but if what he
proposes is unjust or self-interested
he's dismissed and booed out of the
hall on his head the king wears a simple
branch of olive as a crown he is Seated
on a chair elevated merely to extend his
voice and on the first step to the
throne is written in large characters
the word
eternity this step is actually a tomb
where the emomed body of the last
Monarch rests until being replaced by a
son the king is thereby reminded that
the dream of royalty is soon over and
that nothing will remain but his
[Music]
reputation one of the reasons why Texas
can be kept low is that France has
disbanded its
military the sovereigns of the Earth
have DED to hear the voice of
philosophy they quote glory in good
government preferring the pleasure of
making a small number happy to the
Frantic ambition of ruling over
countries designated or filled with
ulcerated hearts to whom the power of a
conqueror must forever be
odious these Kings by Common consent
have fixed bounds to their dominions and
such as nature itself seems to have
finded in separating them by Seas by
forests or mountains they have learned
that a kingdom of but small extent is
susceptible to the best form of
government furthermore France has lost
its colonies which is explained in the
following
way we should be highly ridiculous to
send our dear fellow citizens 2,000
leagues from us why should we thus
estrange ourselves from our Brethren our
climate is at least as good as that of
America every necessary production is
here common and by Nature
excellent the colonies were to France
what a country house is to a private
person the house in the country sooner
or later ruins that in
town the book argues that the Greed for
gold and useless luxuries brought about
by international trade was the cause of
inequality at home and of countless
atrocities abroad quote you violated the
most sacred ties of blood and nature on
the coast of Guinea
you armed the father against the son
while you pretended to the name of
Christians and of men blind barbarians a
whole race of men bought and sold
treated as the vest
animals Kings became Merchants covering
the Seas with
blood since then the East and West India
companies have been abolished and almost
all trade is now internal consisting
mostly of agricultural
products luxuries like snuff tea and
coffee have all been
banned so what then happened to the
former
[Music]
colonies we get a first hint where the
narrator finds a newly erected Monument
outside of the church or Temple that he
visited a statue of sacred humanity is
surrounded by female personifications of
various Nations kneeling and begging for
pardon for the crimes they've committed
for religious persecution for tyranny
slavery and
colonialism here writes Spain still more
criminal than her sisters groaned at the
thought of having covered the new
continent with 35 millions of carcasses
with having pursued the deplorable
remains of a thousand Nations into the
depths of forests and into the caverns
of rocks Spain May sigh and supplicate
her Phil but never ought to hope for
pardon the punishment of so many retes
condemned to the minds ought forever to
be urged against
[Music]
her not far from this Monument he served
a pedestal supporting a statue of a
black man with Fierce eyes and a noble
and commanding
attitude around him were spread the
broken relics of 20 scepter and at his
feet were written the words to the
Avenger of the new
world this man a black Spartacus had
broken asunder the chains of all the
slaves and quot at the same instant they
poured forth the blood of all their
tyrants French Spanish English Dutch and
Portuguese all became pray to the sword
the fire and
poison and so the Europeans were chased
out of the new world while the slaves
gained their freedom and the natives
resumed their unalienable
rights we find out more exactly what had
happened when the narrator reads a pile
of gazettes one
evening they say that when the Avenger
of the new world had driven away the
tyrants he laid down his sword and
contented himself with being a
legislator the continents were divided
in to two empires that of North and
South America each in turn consists of
numerous smaller States United under a
general Sovereign similar to the whole
Roman
Empire in the north a descendant of
monuma has been reinstated to the throne
and rules over his vast and prosperous
realm from a palace in Mexico
City stretching from the Antilles all
the way to Canada it contains the state
of
Pennsylvania this seems to be the only
of the 13 colonies to have survived and
was likely spared by the Avenger because
of the Quakers who opposed
slavery The Gazette informs us that this
province where Humanity Faith Liberty
Concord and equality have taken refuge
for more than 800 years is covered with
the most elegant and flourishing
cities we also learn about other parts
of the world China and Japan have opened
their borders and have friendly contacts
with the West
books are translated and plays and
dramas are exchanged for the past 200
years French has been widely spoken in
Beijing and Chinese characters have been
replaced by a simpler writing
system a land there has more recently
ended its isolation is
Tahiti The Gazette mentions that this
happy Island where rain the manners of
the Golden Age had been discovered in
the 18th century by the French explorer
Lou Anan Dean
he claimed it for the French crown and
brought the tahan back with him who in
1770 attracted the Curiosity of Paris
for a
week the name of the man was aut toru
and his visit would have been fresh in
the memory of Mercier when he wrote the
book perhaps he even personally saw
him but little was it known then the
cassette continues that a member of buan
ville's crew had stayed behind on the
island after the ship had left he
presented himself to the the people and
warned them of the Europeans quot these
strangers you have entertained and who
seemed so polite whom you have loaded
with civilities and presence will soon
return and bring with them all those
plagues that affect other
countries they will load you with
Fetters and by their cruel arguments
they will prove it to be for your
advantage he then convinced the people
that the only way to protect themselves
was to kill every stranger that landed
on the island in this way the tahitians
refused any interaction with the outside
world and managed to avoid
colonization however it says that this
law has lately been abolished because by
repeated informations they've learned
that Europe is no longer the enemy of
the other four parts of the globe that
it is ambitious of forming friends and
not making slaves that is vessels go in
search of examples of simple and refined
manners and not of contempt
riches closer to home we find that the
Turks had already been driven out of
Europe by the end of the 18th
century Constantinople is once again in
the hands of the Greeks who have formed
a prospering republic where philosophy
flourishes the Calio the former Palace
of the saltans is now used for
masquerades and a theater has been
constructed on the ruins of the famous
Hagia Sophia
Church the fall of the Ottoman ccess was
brought about by people from the north
in real life the Russian Empress
Katherine the Great had plans to create
a Greek state in the European part of
the Ottoman Empire so perhaps something
similar actually happened in Mercy's
world in the future Katherine is still
remembered though not for her conquests
and triumphs but as an enlightened ruler
there is no mention of the partitions of
Poland the first of which took place
just a year after the book was
released instead it speaks of how
Catherine had a wonderful influence over
this Kingdom and that the poles are
still grateful to her for ending Anarchy
in their land and for increasing the
liberty of the
peasants she's also remembered for
abolishing serfdom in Russia and since
her days absolute monarchy has also been
abandoned thanks to centuries of wise
government the Empire's population has
grown from 14 million to a staggering 45
million and has thereby become equal to
its extent which is greater than that of
Augustus or Alexander
the Papal States are no more the pope
has been demoted to Bishop of Rome and
his former lands are ruled by the
Emperor of
Italy meanwhile in Spain the spirit of
industry is everyday more
manifest the Arts are reaching new
levels of refinement and new discoveries
are being made on the nature of
electricity in Vienna the austrians are
marrying off their princesses to those
princes of the earth that have given the
Fest proofs of tenderness for their
people and in London which is now three
times as large as in the 18th century a
new Statue of Cromwell has recently been
erected he is acknowledged as the real
author of their political system which
is still maintained because it enriches
not the Monarch but the
people furthermore the Scots and Irish
have recently presented a petition to
Parliament that quote the names of
Scotland and Ireland may be abolished
and that they may make but one body
spirit and name with the English as they
are one by that patriotic spirit with
which they are
[Music]
animated in the last chapter of the book
The narrator leaves Paris to see what
has become of the famous Palace of
versailes upon arriving he finds nothing
but quote ruins gaping walls and
mutilated statues some porticos half
demolished afforded a confusing idea of
its ancient
magnificence as I walked over these
ruins I saw an old man sitting upon the
capital of a
column alas I said to him what has
become of this vast
Palace it is Fallen it was crushed by
its own weight a man in his impatient
Pride would have here forced nature he
hastily heaped buildings upon buildings
greedy of gratifying his capricious will
he harassed his subjects all the wealth
of the nation was here swallowed up here
flowed a stream of tears to compose
those reservoirs of which there are now
no
traces behold All That Remains of that
Colossus which a million of hands
erected with so much painful
labor the foundations of this Palace
were laid in iniquity it was an image of
The Wretched greatness of him that built
it the Kings his successors were obliged
to fly from it lest they should be
crushed by its
fall oh May these ruins cry aloud to all
sovereigns that they who abuse a
momentary power only discover their
weakness to Future
Generations at these words he shed a
flood of tears and turned his eyes to
heaven with a mournful repenting look
why do You Weep I said all the world is
happy and these ruins by no means
declare any public Calamity he raised
his voice and said oh how wretched is my
fate know that I am LS I 14th who built
this ruthful Palace the Divine justice
has again illumined the torch of my days
to make me contemplate more nearly my
deplorable
Enterprise how transient are the moments
of Pride I must now and forever weep oh
that I had but
known I was going to ask him a question
when one of the adders with which this
place swarmed darted from a broken
column stung me on on the neck and I
[Music]
wake
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