Politique et mystique: Charles Péguy

"Everything begins in mysticism and ends in politics.
The interest, the question, the essential is that in each order, in each system, mysticism be not devoured by politics to which it gave birth. Politics laughs at mysticism; nevertheless it is still mysticism which feeds these same politics.


For the politicians get even with us, or think they get even with us by saying that at least they are practical, and that we are not. In this they deceive themselves and they deceive others. We will not grant them even this much. It is the mystics who are practical, and the politicians who are not. We it is who are practical, who do something , and it is they who are not, who do nothing. It is we who accumulate and they who pillage. It is we who build, it is we who lay foundations and they who demolish. It is we who nourish and they who live as parasites. It is we who create works and men, peoples and races. And they who ruin. Mysticism of the republic meant dying for the Republic; politics of the republic at present mean feeding on it." -Charles Péguy, Politics and Mysticism

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