For a Party of Intelligence

For a Party of Intelligence (French: Pour un parti de l'intelligence) is the title of a manifesto written by Henri Massis and published in Le Figaro (Supplément littéraire du Dimanche) on July 19, 1919. Strongly influenced by the Maurrassism of the Action Française, it was the response of right-wing intellectuals to the Declaration of the Independence of the Mind written by Romain Rolland and published on June 26 of the same year in the socialist daily L'Humanité. According to Action française scholar Eugen Weber, the manifesto was very successful and obtained the approval of a considerable part of the French conservative intellectuals of the time.

Historical context

Romain Rolland's Declaration of the Independence of the Mind urged intellectuals to abandon the attitude they had adopted during World War I, during which they had, each in his own camp, joined the patriotic union and defended the war effort. In doing so, they had, according to Rolland, "debased" thought, by making it serve the "egoistic interests of a political or social clan, a State, a country or a class". Inviting intellectuals to learn the lessons of the past, Rolland urged them to work to achieve the fraternal union of "the People of all men."

Three weeks later, in the literary supplement of the Figaro, a text was published, presented as a response to the declaration made earlier by "certain intellectuals", which the signatories of the Figaro text considered likely to disturb public opinion, which they set out to guide and protect against what they described as "Bolshevism of thought."

Signatory list

Marius André, Jacques Bainville, André Beaunier, Camille Bellaigue, Louis Bertrand, Binet-Valmer, Gabriel Boissy, Paul Bourget, Charles Briand, Pierre Champion, Jean des Cognets, Henriette Charasson, Maurice Denis, Georges Deherme, Lucien Dubech, Charles Derennes, George Desvallières, Fagus, Joachim Gasquet, Georges Grappe, Henri Ghéon, Jacques des Gachons, Charles Grolleau, Daniel Halévy, Pierre Hepp, Francis Jammes, Edmond Jaloux, René Johannet, Pierre Lalo, Charles Le Goffic, Louis Le Cardonnel, Pierre de Lescure, Henri Longnon, René Lote, Xavier de Magallon, René de Marans, Jacques Maritain, Eugène Marsan, Henri Massis, Camille Mauclair, Charles Maurras, Charles Moulié, Émile Massard, Jean Nesmy, Edmond Pilon, Marcel Provence, Jean Psichari, Antoine Redier, Firmin Roz, René Salomé, Louis Sonolet, Jean-Louis Vaudoyer, Robert Vallery-Radot, Georges Valois.

See also

• Manifesto of French Intellectuals for the Defense of the West and Peace in Europe

External links

• Pour un Parti de l'Intelligence at Gallica