Undertheinfluenceofthisdevelopingcriticalspiritthingswhichwerenolongerverygreatlyrespectedcametoberespectedlessandless。Whentraditionandprestigehaddisappearedthesocialedificesuddenlyfell。
Thisprogressivedisaggregationfinallydescendedtothepeople，butwasnotcommencedbythepeople。Thepeoplefollowsexamples，butneversetsthem。
Thephilosophers，whocouldnothaveexertedanyinfluenceoverthepeople，didexertagreatinfluenceovertheenlightenedportionofthenation。Theunemployednobility，whohadlongbeenoustedfromtheiroldfunctions，andwhowereconsequentlyinclinedtobecensorious，followedtheirleadership。Incapableofforesight，thenobleswerethefirsttobreakwiththetraditionsthatweretheironlyraisond’etre。Assteepedinhumanitarianismandrationalismasthebourgeoisieofto—
day，theycontinuallysappedtheirownprivilegesbytheircriticisms。Asto—day，themostardentreformerswerefoundamongthefavouritesoffortune。Thearistocracyencourageddissertationsonthesocialcontract，therightsofman，andtheequalityofcitizens。Atthetheatreitapplaudedplayswhichcriticisedprivileges，thearbitrarinessandtheincapacityofmeninhighplaces，andabusesofallkinds。
Assoonasmenloseconfidenceinthefoundationsofthementalframeworkwhichguidestheirconducttheyfeelatfirstuneasyandthendiscontented。Allclassesfelttheiroldmotivesofactiongraduallydisappearing。Thingsthathadseemedsacredforcenturieswerenowsacrednolonger。