Nicholas R. J. Chiasson | University of Edinburgh (original) (raw)

MSc Dissertation by Nicholas R. J. Chiasson

Research paper thumbnail of Not Practical but Pernicious: Bentham and Grote’s Analysis as a Response to Nineteenth Century Religiosity

An in-depth examination of Bentham and Grote's, 'Analysis of the Influence of Natural Religion on... more An in-depth examination of Bentham and Grote's, 'Analysis of the Influence of Natural Religion on the Temporal Happiness of Mankind'.

Papers by Nicholas R. J. Chiasson

Research paper thumbnail of ‘The Apostle of Church Building’: Richard Yates’ Contemporary and Historiographical Reception

This exposition aims to study the writings and reception of the influential but little studied re... more This exposition aims to study the writings and reception of the influential but little studied reverend, Richard Yates. It argues that Yates deserves a more significant place in the historiography of early nineteenth-century Britain, given the contemporary popularity of his works, the consequences of his lobbying, and his capacity to serve as an archetype from which historians can better understand the aims and concerns of the eighteenth- and early nineteenth-century Anglican Establishment. Further, it asserts that a comprehensive understanding of Yates’ works can provide us with crucial insight into the type of Anglican socio-political theory that buttressed Establishmentarian thought during this period, and which formed the basis of Yates’ reforming initiative.

MSc Papers by Nicholas R. J. Chiasson

Research paper thumbnail of Reassessing ‘the Counter-Enlightenment’: Joseph de Maistre’s Considerations on France as an Anti-Philosophe Polemic

Research paper thumbnail of A Question of Leadership: An Appeal to Patristic Authority in Late Seventeenth Century Scotland

Research paper thumbnail of Sinners at the Gates of Heaven: Anticlericalism in the Julius exclusus

Research paper thumbnail of The Age of the Jeremiad: The Reaction to a Perceived Deist Threat in Eighteenth Century America

Research paper thumbnail of A State of Delusion: Nazi-Deutsch and the Discursive Manipulation of the Third Reich

In her foundational political treatise, The Origins of Totalitarianism, Hannah Arendt notes that ... more In her foundational political treatise, The Origins of Totalitarianism, Hannah Arendt notes that deception is an essential component in the development and maintenance of totalitarian rule. 1 This deceit is made necessary by the regime's simultaneous need to hide the truth of its activities from its subjects, as well as from the non-totalitarian world of which it is a part. In order to accomplish this, the totalitarian state relies on a combination of secrecy, surveillance, and propaganda in order to produce a world of fiction so as to placate the masses under their control, and to avoid provoking the suspicion of outside actors. Although the speeches, imagery, and state documents of the Third Reich have been the subject of a great deal of scholarly scrutiny, the language used by the National Socialist Party -what is now known as Nazi-Deutsch -has received comparatively little attention. 2 However, it was primarily through the use of this language, which flourished in both the public and private spheres of German discourse, that the Nazis sought to achieve their goal of complete ideological domination. This discursive manipulation not only sought to divorce the German people from the reality that they were experiencing, but also aimed to produce a body of subjects that were at once both fanatical and docile, unthinking and yet unquestioningly obedient.

Academic Reviews by Nicholas R. J. Chiasson

Research paper thumbnail of Not Practical but Pernicious: Bentham and Grote’s Analysis as a Response to Nineteenth Century Religiosity

An in-depth examination of Bentham and Grote's, 'Analysis of the Influence of Natural Religion on... more An in-depth examination of Bentham and Grote's, 'Analysis of the Influence of Natural Religion on the Temporal Happiness of Mankind'.

Research paper thumbnail of ‘The Apostle of Church Building’: Richard Yates’ Contemporary and Historiographical Reception

This exposition aims to study the writings and reception of the influential but little studied re... more This exposition aims to study the writings and reception of the influential but little studied reverend, Richard Yates. It argues that Yates deserves a more significant place in the historiography of early nineteenth-century Britain, given the contemporary popularity of his works, the consequences of his lobbying, and his capacity to serve as an archetype from which historians can better understand the aims and concerns of the eighteenth- and early nineteenth-century Anglican Establishment. Further, it asserts that a comprehensive understanding of Yates’ works can provide us with crucial insight into the type of Anglican socio-political theory that buttressed Establishmentarian thought during this period, and which formed the basis of Yates’ reforming initiative.

Research paper thumbnail of Reassessing ‘the Counter-Enlightenment’: Joseph de Maistre’s Considerations on France as an Anti-Philosophe Polemic

Research paper thumbnail of A Question of Leadership: An Appeal to Patristic Authority in Late Seventeenth Century Scotland

Research paper thumbnail of Sinners at the Gates of Heaven: Anticlericalism in the Julius exclusus

Research paper thumbnail of The Age of the Jeremiad: The Reaction to a Perceived Deist Threat in Eighteenth Century America

Research paper thumbnail of A State of Delusion: Nazi-Deutsch and the Discursive Manipulation of the Third Reich

In her foundational political treatise, The Origins of Totalitarianism, Hannah Arendt notes that ... more In her foundational political treatise, The Origins of Totalitarianism, Hannah Arendt notes that deception is an essential component in the development and maintenance of totalitarian rule. 1 This deceit is made necessary by the regime's simultaneous need to hide the truth of its activities from its subjects, as well as from the non-totalitarian world of which it is a part. In order to accomplish this, the totalitarian state relies on a combination of secrecy, surveillance, and propaganda in order to produce a world of fiction so as to placate the masses under their control, and to avoid provoking the suspicion of outside actors. Although the speeches, imagery, and state documents of the Third Reich have been the subject of a great deal of scholarly scrutiny, the language used by the National Socialist Party -what is now known as Nazi-Deutsch -has received comparatively little attention. 2 However, it was primarily through the use of this language, which flourished in both the public and private spheres of German discourse, that the Nazis sought to achieve their goal of complete ideological domination. This discursive manipulation not only sought to divorce the German people from the reality that they were experiencing, but also aimed to produce a body of subjects that were at once both fanatical and docile, unthinking and yet unquestioningly obedient.