Rationality And Irrationality Under The Festival Of Reason

The Festival of Reason is one of the countless festivals that the French Revolution created. It was born in the most intense period, and was the summit of the struggle between the politics and the religion. It was saddled with infamies owing to the atheism and praising Reason, but showed distinctive characters of that period.17Brumaire, the Year II (7Nov.1793), the bishop of Paris Gobel and a multitude of priests abdicated in the conference of the Convention. On20, the Festival of Reason was celebrated in Notre Dame de Paris. An actress successfully acted the goddess of Reason. All kinds of relevant ceremonies soon spread all over France. Every radical province expressed Reason in particular way by changing the example of Paris.In other provinces, people chose immense space outdoors, imitated modes of religious festivals, mixed elements of carnival, used abundant verbal, literal and symbolic expressions, combined concepts of Reason and Liberty, worshipped the goddess of Reason, martyrs of liberty and revolutionary symbols to show the cult of Reason. However, due to Hebertists’radicalism and so many revolutionary people joining in, the festival was more and more out of control that exposed their irrationality, which came from the distortion to Reason, from mysticism, also from the revolt against the social reality. The lack of faith and the anti-religion achieved to the ultimate in this festival since the Enlightenment, but after the frenzy, Frenchman finally found a balance between Religion and Reason, started indeed to practice the laicity.The Festival of Reason reflected the radicalism style of the political culture of France, made the politico-religious relationship be concerned till today. The Festival of Reason well showed the French nationality that should be so much learned.