4.) Robespierre summary of his argument as it unfolds in paragraphs 7–9 in the speech “The Terror Justified”

His speech as it is written:

Now what is the fundamental principle of democratic, or popular government — that is to say, the essential mainspring upon which it depends and which makes it function? It is virtue: I mean public virtue . . . that virtue is nothing else but love of fatherland and its laws. . . .

The splendor of the goal of the French Revolution [goal = liberty and equality] is simultaneously the source of our strength and of our weakness: our strength, because it gives us an ascendancy of truth over falsehood, and of public rights over private interests; our weakness, because it rallies against us all vicious men, all those who in their hearts seek to despoil the people. . . . It is necessary to stifle the domestic and foreign enemies of the Republic or perish with them. Now in these circumstances, the first maxim of our politics ought to be to lead the people by means of reason and the enemies of the people by terror.

If the basis of popular government in time of peace is virtue [see virtuous things on reverse side], the basis of popular government in time of revolution is both virtue and terror: virtue without which terror is murderous, terror without which virtue is powerless. Terror is nothing else than swift, severe, indomitable justice; it flows, then, from virtue.

 

Analyzing Robespierre’s logic

In paragraph 7 Robespierre is saying that a democratic government is based on the idea of existing for all of the right reasons. And you do these things for no other reason but because you love your country and you agree to abide by its laws.

In paragraph 8 he is saying that the French Revolution has only two goals liberty and equality. Liberty exist because we believe in public rights over private rights but sometimes we have to fight for the things that we believe in and in the short term you may have to take away people’s liberties to give people greater liberties after the revolution. And in fighting for revolution sometimes you have to do horrible things but it is for the right reasons so you are justified

In paragraph 9 he is saying that during times of revolution if you do acts of terror is a virtue because you’re doing them for the right reasons. If you are justified than everything you do is susceptible because it is for the greater good.