By Ryan McMaken
Mises.org
August 22, 2026
This essay is adapted from a lecture presented at Mises University, July 25, 2026.
A common misconception about the French Revolution is that it was some sort of classical liberal or libertarian revolution. That is, some still claim that the revolution was, for all its flaws, in "the spirit" of what is historically known as liberalism. The flawed interpretation of the revolution is kept alive for two reasons.