The Revolutionary Self: Social Change and the Emergence of the Modern Individual, 1770-1800

Since the eighteenth century, one of the defining concerns of modern life has been the tension between the self and society: we believe in a person’s autonomy, but we also acknowledge that people are shaped by social and cultural forces. The Revolutionary Self delves into this paradox, turning to the eighteenth century as an era when new ideas about the self, society, and equality gained traction and new ways of living emerged.

Lynn Hunt, the eminent historian of the French Revolution, traces the rise of individualism and how it transformed attitudes. In this thoughtful and surprising history, she examines women’s expanding societal roles, such as using tea to facilitate conversation between the sexes and women pushing boundaries by becoming artists. Class also comes under stress, with the French lower classes laughing at printmakers’ ribald portrayals of the elite to soldiers rising in the French army for skill and not pedigree. The invention of financial instruments at this time, like life insurance and the national debt, is related to the changing idea of national identity.

Wide-ranging and thought-provoking, The Revolutionary Self is a fascinating exploration of the conflict between individualism and the group ties that continues to shape our lives today.