Part 3, Section 6 Summary and Analysis

"Historical Rebellion - Rebellion and Revolution"

In this chapter, the author suggests that rebellion is an affirmation of human value, while revolution, in order to sustain itself, is ultimately a cheapening of humanity. He makes several points, among them "Rebellion's demand is unity; historical revolution's demand is totality ..." and "... the first is dedicated to creation so as to exist more and more completely; the second is forced to produce results in order to negate more and more completely ...". Finally, he suggests that revolution "...is always obliged to act in the hope, which is invariably disappointed, of one day really existing..." The inference here is that rebellion, by its very nature (see "Quotes," pp. 248 and 250) affirms its own existence. The author also discusses the negative impact of nihilism on both rebellion and revolution, suggesting that "this particular form of madness...