D’Argenson’s Injunction to the State, Deep or Shallow

A minor figure of the 18th century can teach a lesson to today’s rulers of the deep or shallow state of virtually all countries. René-Louis de Voyer, Marquis d’Argenson (1694-1757) was an early Enlightenment figure, friend of Voltaire, and, for a short time, minister of Louis XV.

In his memoirs, he wrote (Vol. 5, p. 372, of the 1858 edition)–my translation follows the original French:

Il est temps de prendre ce parti. Toutes les autres nations nous haïssent et nous envient. Et nous, ne les envions point si elles s’enrichissent : tant mieux pour elles et aussi pour nous ; elles nous prendront davantage de nos denrées, elles nous apporteront davantage des leurs et de leur argent. Détestable principe que celui de ne vouloir notre grandeur que par l’abaissement de nos voisins ! Il n’y a que la méchanceté et la malignité du coeur de satisfaites dans ce principe, et l’intérêt y est opposé.

Laissez faire, morbleu! laissez faire!

It’s time make that choice. All other nations hate us and envy us. But let’s not envy them if they get rich. Good for them, and good for us to. They will take more of our products and bring us more of theirs and of their money. It is a despicable principle to want our greatness only through lowering our neighbors! Only wickedness and malevolence of the heart are gratified by this principle, and interest is its opposite.

Laissez faire, for God’s sake ! Laissez faire !

We should forgive d’Argenson’s collectivist way of speaking (the “nations” who hate, for example). On this, he is not worse than most of today’s rulers and “their” people.

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DALL-E got my idea to imagine d’Argenson on the first try but with many errors including the candles dangerously close to bookshelves and the anachronistic desk lamp. No doubt that historians of 18th-century France will discover other anachronisms. D’Argenson, who was around 45 when he wrote the quoted passage, also looks a bit young (although I admit I don’t quite remember how one looks at that age). He also does not look like the real d’Argenson, but that is DALL-E’s standard practice. Moreover, the robot made a typo in “morbleu” and I was unable to have “him” correct it. Still not bad for a virtual machine! Certainly better than a pocket calculator. Perhaps he should run for office?

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