Maurras, Charles

Maurras, Charles (1868-1952), French political writer, philosopher, and journalist, born in Martigues, Provence. Maurras moved to Paris in 1885 and joined the staff of L'Action Française, which, with Maurras and Léon Daudet (son of Alphonse Daudet) as its directors, soon became an influential and combative monarchist newspaper. In his daily articles for the paper, Maurras expounded his political ideas in a forceful dialectical style. This style carried over to his books, which included La Réforme Sociale (Social Reform, 1886), Enquête sur la Monarchie (Enquiry Concerning Monarchy, 1909), and L'Avenir de l'Intelligence (The Future of Intelligence, 1905). In his writings he waged a relentless war against the legacy of the French Revolution, the 19th century, romanticism, the Third Republic, foreigners living in France, and Jews. His position is summarized in the motto of L'Action Française: 'integral nationalism', meaning 'classicism, monarchy, Catholicism'. Thus, in spite of his avowed rationalism, Maurras assumed a position as the champion of the Catholic Church because it was the traditional religion of France. He was, nevertheless, condemned by Pope Pius XI in 1926 for having attacked the Holy See. Most of Maurras's political articles are collected in Dictionnaire Politique et Critique (Political and Critical Dictionary, 1932-1935). Anthinéa (Athinea, 1901) is an exposition of his philosophic and aesthetic theories, permeated by Hellenistic influences. In 1946 he was condemned to life imprisonment for collaboration during World War II with the Vichy government. He was released in March 1952 because of ill health, and died near Tours in November 1952.