Joseph de Maistre

(1753 - 1821)

Born in France and exiled to Switzerland, Joseph de Maistre, brother of Xavier de Maistre, is known for being a leading philosopher in the “Counter-Enlightenment,” one who believed that the bloodiness of the French Revolution was a direct result of its leaders turning away from Christianity. The devout Roman Catholic was sent by the king of Sardinia to serve as ambassador to the court of Tsar Alexander I and remained in St. Petersburg for fourteen years.