WI/ASB: French Revolution Embraces Marquis De Sade (Cult of Reason)

WI/ASB: French Revolution Embraces Marquis De Sade (First Consul De Sade)

Marquis-de-Sade.jpg


Say the Marquis De Sade's radical cultural/moralistic beliefs are embraced as one of the revolutionary ideals of the revolution after he is freed from the Bastille.

This could mean he's held as an important ideological figure or maybe even invited into the republican government (say he relinquishes his noble titles to do so)

What could happen to French culture/polity?
 
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I did have an ASB idea where Sade preaches a form of hedonistic Satanism, forms a small cult, then has to flee with his followers to the Seychelles and establishes a Kingdom for himself that his descendants would rule into the modern era.

But I never got around to it.
 
I did have an ASB idea where Sade preaches a form of hedonistic Satanism, forms a small cult, then has to flee with his followers to the Seychelles and establishes a Kingdom for himself that his descendants would rule into the modern era.

But I never got around to it.

That sounds fascinating!
 
I did have an ASB idea where Sade preaches a form of hedonistic Satanism, forms a small cult, then has to flee with his followers to the Seychelles and establishes a Kingdom for himself that his descendants would rule into the modern era.

But I never got around to it.

Only if by Satanism you mean the modern form, as in "We don't really believe this crap, we just say it to piss off the Christians". Otherwise, no. The marquis was a man of the Enlightenment
 
Jean-Baptiste_François_Joseph_de_Sade.jpg


Say the Marquis De Sade's radical cultural/moralistic beliefs are embraced as one of the revolutionary ideals of the revolution after he is freed from the Bastille.

This could mean he's held as an important ideological figure or maybe even invited into the republican government (say he relinquishes his noble titles to do so)

What could happen to French culture/polity?

White terror is going to be a lot worse come a Bourbon restoration.

The rest of the aristocracy in Europe probably would soil themselves, Robespierre's reign was bad enough OTL.
 
The thing about de Sade that have read was that he was quite hell bent on trying to convert people to his point of view regarding the supremacy of reason and subjugation of the flesh to sexual desire.

I just wonder how, if embraced and championed as one the founding principles of the French Republic, it could change the face of French culture and politics.

Would there be a sado-masochistic sexual revolution in France as a part of a collective fall into irreligious hedonism? Or something else entirely?
 
Well I'll take a serious crack at it.

Say the Marquis De Sade is freed from the Bastille and through clever political posturing, coupled with the seedy orgy parties he would host to solidify political alliances, he able to secure a position in the National Convention.

^(this actually happened)

He relinquishs his noble titles.

He does not involve himself in the execution of Louis XVI

During the Paris riots of 1973, he and others establish the Committee of Public Safety. He then comes into contest with Robespierre for leadership of the committee, with Maximillian arguing for a bloody crackdown on dissenters while De Sade argues for co-opting french radicals through state sanctioned hedonism, through which the Roman calendar would be re-introduced as well as a resumption of all Roman-esqe hedonistic festivals and holidays.

De Sade outwits Maximillian politically and has him executed.

With dictatorial powers, De Sade shuts down all churches in Paris, Marie Antionette is imprisoned indefinitely in De Sade's personal abode.

And a grand Roman pagan feast is held in Paris on the day that would of been her execution.

This could be TL worthy
 
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