DiotimosReading Desk

Philosophy

Rabid or fanatical

enragé

Enragé can suggest literal rabies, violent madness or political fanaticism.

From the book

The Gods Are Athirst

Anatole France · Diotimos Editions · 2026

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Meaning

Lemma.

Enragé can suggest literal rabies, violent madness or political fanaticism. Brotteaux calls the universe enragé because he sees destructive struggle in nature; he later calls Jacobin lawmakers enragés. The first is a cosmological metaphor, the second a hostile description of people. Neither use in itself names a specific organised party.

Places to read

  1. Chapter VI, paragraph 52Frenchl’univers est enragé: The universe is rabid. Brotteaux’s speech supplies the violent cosmological metaphor.
  2. Chapter X, paragraph 43Frenchces enragés barbouilleurs de lois: These fanatical scribblers of laws. His later polemic targets coercive lawmaking.