How the Year 2440 was Imagined in 1771

Summary

In 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

00:00

🌌 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.

05:01

🏙️ 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.

10:02

🔮 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.

15:02

🏛️ 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.

20:04

🌳 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.

25:05

🌏 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.

30:06

🗽 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.

Keywords

💡Utopia

A utopia is an imagined community or society that possesses highly desirable or perfect qualities. In the video, Mercier's novel presents a utopian vision of Paris in the year 2440, where societal norms and technological advancements have led to a harmonious and efficient society. The concept of utopia is central to the video's exploration of an ideal future.

💡Industrial Revolution

The Industrial Revolution refers to the period during the 18th and 19th centuries when agrarian societies in Europe and America became industrial and urban. In the video, it is noted that in Mercier's vision, the Industrial Revolution never occurred, and France remained more agrarian, focusing on productivity and simplicity rather than industrialization.

💡Hologram Technology

Hologram technology is a method of recording and reconstructing light fields to produce 3D images. In the script, an agrarian society has invented something resembling hologram technology, which is used to create illusions of different views, showcasing an alternative path for technological advancement in this future world.

💡Right-Hand Traffic

Right-hand traffic is the practice of vehicles driving on the right side of the road. The video describes how, in the year 2440, Paris has implemented right-hand traffic rules, which was a significant change from the 18th century when there were no standardized traffic regulations.

💡Public Health

Public health is the branch of medicine focused on the health of populations and the prevention of disease. In the video, the future Paris is shown to have made significant improvements in public health, such as moving hospitals to the edges of the city to prevent overcrowding and disease spread, reflecting a focus on the well-being of the community.

💡Cabinet of Physics

A cabinet of physics refers to a collection of scientific instruments and specimens used for teaching and demonstration purposes. In the script, the protagonist visits the king's cabinet, which contains a vast array of natural specimens and human inventions, symbolizing the scientific progress made in this future society.

💡Acoustics

Acoustics is the branch of physics that deals with the study of sound, including its production, propagation, and reception. In the video, an acoustic device is mentioned that can mimic various sounds, including human voices and animal cries, which is used for both entertainment and educational purposes, such as deterring princes from warlike dispositions.

💡Religion and Society

The relationship between religion and society is explored in the video, where the future society is deeply religious, but with a focus on simple worship and moral teachings. The video describes how religious practices have evolved to align with philosophical and scientific advancements, and how they contribute to the moral fabric of the utopian society.

💡Book Burning

Book burning is the act of destroying books, often associated with censorship and the suppression of dissenting ideas. In the script, a great configuration is described where books deemed frivolous, useless, or dangerous were destroyed in an effort to rebuild human knowledge from the ground up, reflecting a societal effort to curate and preserve knowledge.

💡Gender Roles

Gender roles refer to the tasks, functions, and expectations associated with being male or female in a particular society. The video discusses how, despite the progressive nature of the future society, women are still confined to traditional gender roles, highlighting the persistence of some social norms even in a utopian context.

💡Decentralization

Decentralization is the process of distributing or dispersing functions, powers, and responsibilities away from a central location. In the video, the future French society is described as having undergone decentralization, with the king's role becoming largely ceremonial and power being divided among the king, the Senate, and the Estates General, leading to a more equitable and democratic governance structure.

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